Resilient and Connected Landscapes

Arizona: The Verde River

The  Verde River  is one of Arizona’s natural climate corridors, providing flowing waters and habitat that protect biodiversity, connecting wildlife corridors and migratory bird flyways, and in the future will provide a migratory pathway northward as temperatures rise. Along with supporting nature, the River provides 3 million people with drinking water, farm irrigation, and recreation. Working with partners, TNC is keeping more water in the river with new economic markets and improved water management. 

Arkansas: Blackland Prairie Region

The  blackland prairies and woodlands  of southwestern Arkansas harbor more than 600 species of plants (including 21 globally imperiled plant communities) and some 315 animal species. While some 12,000 acres are already protected, TNC is working with partner agencies and private landowners to protect additional lands and boost habitat-management efforts.

California: Amargosa Region of the Mojave Desert

The  Mojave Desert's Amargosa River basin  supports many rare and unique species and habitats, like mesquite bosques, seeps and marshes. Nearly 50 species are found nowhere else on Earth. Though largely in public ownership, TNC and partners are working to reduce threats to wildlife and restore critical habitats.

Colorado: Southern High Plains

Southeastern Colorado and surrounding states hold some of the world's greatest remaining grassland ecosystems. Once harboring legions of bison and myriad grassland birds, large areas of prairies have been altered by cropland conversion, wind energy and invasive species. But much of the region remains intact and TNC and partners have protected places like  JE Canyon Ranch and Fishers Peak  to help retain long-term resilience.

Connecticut, Massachusetts: Berkshire Wildlife Linkage

The  Berkshire Wildlife Linkage  is a natural highway connecting the Green Mountains in Vermont to the Hudson Highlands in New York. The Conservancy has been working with partners to protect more than 20,000 acres across this area. The effort is aimed at linking core forest habitats by protecting corridors, allowing wildlife to migrate as climate change shifts temperature zones. 

Delaware: Delaware Bayshore

 Delaware’s Bayshore landscape  is a mosaic of undeveloped beaches and dunes, shifting shorelines, vast tidal marshes, upland forests and open farmland. More than a million migratory shorebirds visit the area each spring to feed on eggs laid by spawning horseshoe crabs. At its Milford Neck Preserve, The Nature Conservancy is restoring marshes and forests to help keep the coastal area resilient to climate impacts. 

Florida: Apalachicola

Globally recognized for plant diversity, the Apalachicola National Forest is one of North America's top five biodiversity hotspots and is the largest national forest in Florida. Adding to the forest's plant and wildlife diversity are its caverns, sinkholes and extensive longleaf pine and wiregrass natural community. The Conservancy’s  Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve  is just north of the national forest.

Georgia: Altamaha River Corridor

One of the largest undammed rivers in the East, the Altamaha River drains more than one-fourth of the state and its tributaries provide drinking water from Atlanta to middle Georgia. For over 20 years, The Nature Conservancy and partners have created a  42-mile-long corridor of protected land along the river . Islands and salt marshes in Altamaha Sound are a nursery for microbes, shrimp and fish.

Idaho: St. Joe-Clearwater Landscape

St. Joe-Clearwater lands are at the heart of an expansive network of Inventoried Roadless and Wilderness areas spanning millions of acres in north-central Idaho and provide critical connectivity for wildlife in the Northern Rockies. Part of the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem, public lands and unprotected inholdings support healthy populations of mountain goat, elk, moose, black bear, and mountain lion along with a complex fishery that includes bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout, and the St. Joe River is designated Wild and Scenic. Immense pressure from population growth and development is threatening St. Joe-Clearwater forests essential for maintaining this climate resilient network and enormously important for carbon storage and Idaho’s timber economy. 

Illinois: Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

The U.S. Forest Service’s  Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie  is the largest tallgrass prairie restoration effort east of the Mississippi River and provides refuge for many common and rare bird species. Midewin’s sheer size provides opportunities to foster a variety of habitats required by many species, particularly those that require wide open spaces.

Indiana: Sugar Creek Corridor

Deep ravines, canyons and cliff faces characterize the landscape within the  Sugar Creek valley  in west central Indiana. TNC has been working in the area for more than 50 years to enhance water quality in Sugar Creek by protecting the relatively large forest blocks surrounding it.

Iowa: Loess Hills

Western Iowa’s  Loess Hills  are a globally unique formation of deep soil deposits. This 640,000-acre landscape has tremendous diversity of plants and animals and holds more than half of Iowa’s remaining tallgrass prairie habitat. The abundant habitat and connectivity of protected lands here, along with “peak and saddle” topography, make it one of the region’s places most resilient to climate change.

Kansas: Flint Hills

Originally spanning portions of 14 states from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, today less than 4% of world’s tallgrass prairie remains—and most found in the  Flint Hills  of eastern Kansas and northern Oklahoma. Here, four million acres of deep-rooted grasses in the Flint Hills nurture some the greatest biological diversity in the world.

Kentucky,Tennessee, and Virginia: Cumberland Forest Project

Spanning 253,000 acres across Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia, the  Cumberland Forest  area not only safeguards critical wildlife habitat but also fights climate change. Its forests store millions of tons of carbon dioxide and because its complex geology has created numerous microclimates, the region provides "escape routes” for plants and animals fleeing climate impacts in searching of new places where they can thrive.

Louisiana: Atchafalaya River Basin

At 1.4 million acres, the  Atchafalaya River Basin  is North America's largest floodplain swamp. Aside from the basin's many natural services (like flood control, nutrient sequestration and carbon storage), its cypress-tupelo forests, fertile marshes, and meandering bayous provide essential habitat for more than 300 species of wildlife, 100 aquatic species, and a rich diversity of native plants.

Maine: Boundary Mountain Preserve

TNC's new 9,600-acre  Boundary Mountains Preserve  is a treasure of diversity and resilience. Adjacent to over 22,000 acres of public lands in Quebec, the preserve extends a corridor of conserved lands northward to more than 260,000 acres. This represents a key link in a major ecological pathway from the White Mountains through western Maine mountains and Quebec. It holds a dozen peaks over 2,700 feet in elevation.

Maryland: Pocomoke River

A classic coastal migration corridor, the   Pocomoke  drains water from Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia into the Chesapeake Bay. The Pocomoke's cypress swamp forests and wetlands that are fed by natural flooding patterns are biodiversity hotspots supporting 60-plus migratory songbirds. The river harbors numerous resident and migratory fish species, including herring and shad. TNC and partners are restoring floodplains along 18-miles of the river – the largest ecological restoration project in Maryland’s history.

Massachusetts: Schenob Brook

At more than 2,500 acres,  Schenob Brook Preserve  is important for its diverse and rare flora and fauna and unique calcareous wetlands. Protected lands here include the Schenob Brook wetland complex and upland acreage to the west that is wetlands' water source.

Michigan: Michigamme Highlands

The  Michigamme Highlands  are located within some of the largest remaining unbroken swaths of hardwood forest in North America. These rich forests moderate regional climate, store carbon, filter the headwaters of the Great Lakes, provide wildlife habitat and support timber, recreation and tourism. The Nature Conservancy’s Wilderness Lakes Reserve, located within the Michigamme Highlands, is managed as an active forest reserve, demonstrating sustainable forestry practices and enrolling the property in carbon markets.

Minnesota: Superior National Forest

Encompassing the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area, the large blocks of contiguous forest within  Superior National Forest  are ideal for Minnesota’s moose, wolves and migratory songbirds as well as sustainable timber harvests. TNC is planting millions of trees in the region with climate change in mind to ensure our forests will remain diverse and resilient. 

Mississippi: The Pascagoula River

The largest free-flowing river in the continental US, the  Pascagoula River  is buffered by an 80,000-acre bottomland hardwood corridor of public and private conserved lands. Realizing its significance, TNC purchased 35,000 acres along the Pascagoula River in 1974 -- the largest land acquisition in its history at that time. That land later became the Pascagoula Wildlife Management Area (WMA) which supports over 300 wildlife species

Missouri: Meramec River

Among the longest free-flowing rivers in the U.S., the  Meramec River  is an irreplaceable freshwater resource and key tributary to the Mississippi River. Its well-protected watershed supports among the highest biodiversity in the region, provides economic and recreational resources for local communities, and clean drinking water to approximately 70,000 households.  

Montana, Wyoming, Idaho: Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

The  Greater Yellowstone  is the source of seven major rivers, home to our country’s first national park and a convergence of forests, sagebrush, grasslands and geothermal wonders. The area is a patchwork of private and public lands that support animals found few places on the planet and which provide critical seasonal habitat to migrating elk, pronghorn and mule deer.

Nebraska: Niobrara Valley Preserve

The 56,000 acre  Niobrara Valley Preserve  is a biological crossroads of the Great Plains. Its variety of conserved habitats provide lasting resilience, with six different ecological types: northern boreal, western coniferous, and eastern deciduous forest and mixed grass, tallgrass, and sandhills prairie. To date, 581 plant, 213 bird, 86 lichen, 70 butterfly, 44 mammal, 25 fish, 17 reptile and 8 amphibian species have been recorded at the preserve.

Nevada: Monsoon Passage

The connected mountain ranges and wet valley bottoms of this natural highway provide desert tortoises, bighorn sheep, Cooper’s hawk, mule deer, golden eagles and other species escape routes from growing climate impacts, allowing them to find new homes where they can thrive. The region's name comes from being at the western edge of the summer monsoons that provide eastern-facing moisture to buffer rising temperatures and a pathway for species moving north.

New Hampshire: Southern Greens to the White Mountains

The vast and diverse area between the  southern Green Mountains in Vermont, through the Monadnock Highlands and the White Mountains in New Hampshire  is a critical link for lasting resilience. As climate change continues to drive a northward shift in many species, this region will be important for enabling new species such as the marbled salamander and Eastern box turtle to move into southern New Hampshire.

New Jersey: Bobcat Alley

 Bobcat Alley , a 32,000-acre forested corridor in Northwestern New Jersey providing prime habitat for state-endangered bobcats and other wildlife, is a critical land-link connecting vast forested Central Appalachians regions to protected areas in the Catskills and northward, where many species are projected to move as the climate changes.

New Mexico: Gila River

The  Gila River  and its floodplain are a resilient corridor of habitat connecting verdant mountain forests to desert lowlands.

New York: Follensby Pond

Nestled between wilderness areas of the Adirondacks,  Follensby Pond  provides a protected corridor and refuge for a vast array of wildlife. Follensby is the largest of only nine remaining intact lakes in the lower 48 states that support what Cornell University has coined an “old growth” lake trout population along with other species listed as Greatest Conservation Need in New York.

North Carolina: Longleaf Pine Sandhills Region

The  Sandhills of North Carolina  are more resilient to a changing climate and will be an important refuge for plants and animals of the longleaf forest. The Uwharrie mountain region to the west also has high climate resilience and could offer safe passage for some species as the climate changes.

North Dakota: Missouri Coteau

The  Missouri Coteau  includes much of the Prairie Pothole Region, regarded as America’s duck factory because its prairies and wetlands create ideal habitat for nesting waterfowl. TNC’s 7,000+ acre Davis Ranch in North Dakota is being managed for not only ducks but also pollinators and grassland birds.

Ohio: Edge of Appalachia Preserve System

Encompassing over 20,000 acres in southern Ohio, the  Edge of Appalachia Preserve System  consists of 11 contiguous preserves owned and managed by TNC and the Cincinnati Museum Center. It has been called the "crown jewel” of biological diversity in Ohio, with more than 100 rare plant and animal species, including Indiana bat, green salamander and Allegheny woodrat. Future conservation projects can create larger links for resident and migrating wildlife.

Oklahoma: Four Canyon Preserve

TNC's  Four Canyon Preserve  encompasses 4,000 acres of mixed-grass prairie, rugged canyons, and floodplain along the Canadian River. Scenic prairie ridges traverse the landscape, dissected by deep chinquapin oak-lined canyons draining to the river. The prairies and contrasting wooded canyons provide varied habitat for a variety of plant, bird and wildlife species that can be resilient as climate changes.

Oregon: Sycan Marsh and Surrounding Forests

The  Sycan Marsh Preserve  is a vast wetland in the upper reaches of the Klamath Basin, nestled within many thousands of acres of dry forests. Sycan is located within the ancestral homelands of the Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin, collectively The Klamath Tribes. Located on the Pacific Flyway, the marsh is home to thousands of birds and provides habitat for endangered fish. Thanks to the Preserve’s landscape, it is also an epicenter of fire ecology and forest & fire management research. For years, TNC has been working with Indigenous people, forest ecologists, and fire practitioners to conduct prescribed burns, study fire behavior, and collect data on everything from air quality to the ways in which fire and climate change impacts forest conservation and restoration efforts. 

Pennsylvania: Kittatinny Ridge

Running 185 miles from the Mason-Dixon Line to the upper Delaware River, the  Kittatinny Ridge  harbors a huge array of species including bobcats, black bear, broad-wing hawks and nine species of bats. The Nature Conservancy is working to ensure this important migratory corridor remains intact, healthy and resilient to climate impacts.

Rhode Island: Pawcatuck Borderlands

The  Pawcatuck Borderlands  is part of a natural highway that connects the coastal habitats of southern Rhode Island to the mountain habitats of northern New England and beyond. At the heart of this area are four forest blocks that form a relatively undeveloped “oasis” in the middle of the highly developed coastal corridor from DC to Boston.

South Carolina: Nine Times Preserve

 Nine Times Preserve  lies at the intersection of South Carolina’s Southern Blue Ridge Mountains and its piedmont region, where mountainous terrain begins to slope into gentler hills. Black bear, peregrine falcons and freshwater trout are just a few of the species you may find on this incredibly biologically significant property, which also features more than 130 species of native wildflowers, five mountain summits and seven distinct forest types.

South Dakota: Black Hills

The Black Hills is an ecologically unique and important area for conservation. Sitting at the confluence of sage lands, pine forests and mixed grasslands, its diverse habitat attracts an array of wildlife including mountain lions and bighorn sheep. TNC’s  Whitney Preserve  in South Dakota is home to rare plants and is one of the best places in the region for birdwatching.

Tennessee: Hatchie River

The  Hatchie River  is the longest naturally meandering river left in the Lower Mississippi Valley and contains the largest forested floodplain in Tennessee. Because it has remained undammed and largely unchannelized, the natural flood processes that drive the ecosystem are intact, sustaining the river and wetland habitats that support a rich ecological diversity. The Hatchie River ecosystem encompasses bottomland hardwood forests, canebrakes, swamps, sloughs, rivers and lakes.

Texas: Davis Mountains

The  Davis Mountains  are called a “sky island” because they rise abruptly from the surrounding Chihuahuan desert. This cooler and wetter oasis provides habitat for plants and wildlife unable to live in the desert. The mix of forests, grasslands, canyons, and creeks provides opportunities for many species to find suitable conditions, even in a changing climate.

Texas: Central Hill Country

Crystal clear water flows through the deep, cool canyons of Texas Hill Country streams like  Love Creek , many of which contribute to aquifers used for drinking water. These spring-fed waters and the varied habitats on the uplands enable a wide variety of native plants and wildlife – from salamanders to golden-cheeked warblers – to flourish on the Edwards Plateau.

Utah: Colorado Plateau – Canyon Lands Province

 The  Canyon Lands province  of the Colorado Plateau is a spectacular array of geologic formations and diverse vegetation from low-elevation grassland and desert shrublands to pinyon-juniper woodlands in higher elevations. An extensive resilient and connected network of landscapes, bolstered by vast public lands, makes this region valuable habitat for wildlife such as elk, mule deer, antelope, mountain lion, coyote, fox, and bobcat.

Vermont: Burnt Mountain

Aside from being Vermont's largest carbon storage project, the nearly 5,500-acre  Burnt Mountain preserve  is part of an 11,000-acre forest block that is permanently protected. Its varied topography, healthy forests and clear streams provide many long-term options for plants and animals to find refuge as climate changes.

Washington: Hoh River

From the glaciated peaks of Olympic National Park, the  Hoh River  runs through lowland rainforests to the Pacific Ocean. The Hoh Tribe has long stewarded these lands, which store immense amounts of carbon and host one of the healthiest wild salmon runs in the lower 48 states. The Conservancy seeks to grow the region’s climate resiliency by protecting and restoring habitat corridors along the length of the river.

West Virginia: Canaan Valley and Dolly Sods

 Dolly Sods , the highest elevation plateau in the Appalachians, sits adjacent to the Canaan Valley, which is the highest elevation major Appalachian valley (and largest wetland complex in the Central Appalachians). These high elevations harbor spectacular views and a range of species and ecosystems that have persisted here since the end of the last ice age 14,000 years ago. The area includes TNC's Bear Rocks Preserve.

Wisconsin: Kettle Moraine region

Wisconsin’s  Kettle Moraine region  was shaped by glaciers during the last ice age and contains a wide range of glacial topographic features from large kettle lakes to 300-foot-high ridges. This north-south corridor, with varied terrain and microclimates and a diverse collection of plant communities including oak woodlands and savannas, prairies, bogs and fens, will be important for maintaining biodiversity as species adjust to climate change.

Wyoming, Montana, Idaho: Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

The  Greater Yellowstone  is the source of seven major rivers, home to our country’s first national park and a convergence of forests, sagebrush, grasslands and geothermal wonders. The area is a patchwork of private and public lands that support animals found few places on the planet and which provide critical seasonal habitat to migrating elk, pronghorn and mule deer.