Wild Havens

Paddlers have a great new website for navigating the Southeast Coast Saltwater Paddling Trail (SECT). This extensive trail allows for travel along an unbroken trail of tidal marshes and rivers more than 760 miles along the coasts of Virginia, North Carolina,… Read More

The Conservation Fund and a host of partners launched the Upper Green River Valley Initiative in 2008 to conserve and enhance key wildlife habitat and agricultural lands in the region. To date, we have worked with numerous public and private… Read More

Encompassing a diverse array of habitat types, from the high, dry deserts of the Great Basin to the wet, lower-elevation forests of the Pacific Coast, Oregon’s Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument stretches across more than 54,000 acres in southwest Oregon, just north of the… Read More

Located just a short ferry ride or flight away from mainland Washington, the beautiful San Juan Islands are a favorite destination for kayakers, hikers, whale watchers and other outdoor enthusiasts. San Juan Island National Historical Park, found on San Juan Island,… Read More

The Obama Administration designated the First State National Monument in Delaware on March 25, 2013. Finally, more than 140 years after America’s first national park was created, all 50 states are represented in our park system. The new monument includes… Read More

About 25 miles outside New Orleans, cypress and tupelo trees tower over a classic southern swamp, where herons cast lanky shadows, alligators slink beneath greenish surface waters, and boaters take it all in. This is Maurepas Swamp—a place that is… Read More

Thanks to donations from hundreds of thousands of dedicated individuals and private businesses, our Go Zero® program planted its 2 millionth tree in 2012! Half those trees are now thriving at Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge, where they are helping to… Read More

Clean and wild, the Little River in northeast Alabama is America’s longest mountaintop river, cutting through the deepest canyon east of the Mississippi. Travel along the 11-mile scenic drive on the west rim, and you can stop at overlooks to… Read More

Success! After nearly five years of hard work, we were thrilled to convey the final piece of Rocky Fork, the largest tract of unprotected land in the southern Appalachian Mountains, to the U.S. Forest Service in September 2012. Located along… Read More

San Diego is known for its miles of coastline and beautiful beaches. But there is more to this coastal ecosystem than just sand and surf: other landscapes, such as coastal sage brush and forest habitat, also are critical to maintaining the… Read More

An area known for its world-class fishing and other great recreational opportunities, the Snake River attracts thousands of tourists from around the world each year.  But the beauty of this area also brings the desire for development, which threatens the… Read More

Renowned as the “biological crossroads of North America,” Big Thicket is a remarkable mix of southeastern swamps, eastern deciduous forest, central plains, pine savannas and dry sandhills. There are 10 distinct ecosystems within the nearly 106,000-acre preserve that are home… Read More

In early 2010 we completed the second and final phase of a land conservation project that adds 560 acres to the Meeteetse Spires Area of Critical Environmental Concern in the Beartooth Mountains. This project is a great example of how… Read More

Where Montana’s dramatic peaks give way to the Northern Great Plains, the Rocky Mountain Front forms a landscape unlike any other in America. The Front represents some of the nation’s rarest wildlife habitat—where grizzly bears still roam freely from the… Read More

Big and burly, grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) are an icon of American wildlife. One of the largest mammals in North America, approximately 50,000 grizzlies lived in the continental United States until the 1800s, when settlers began moving in and cities grew…. Read More

Out West, few animals are as famous as the pronghorn antelope. First celebrated by explorers Lewis and Clark, the pronghorn is graceful and swift, with a top running speed of about 55 miles per hour—surpassed on land only by the… Read More

Three Sisters Springs is made up of pristine, naturally occurring springs and is one of Florida’s last remaining urban springs. During the winter months, as well as cold fronts, the springs are home to more than 150 endangered manatees, a… Read More

The Greater Prairie-Chicken once was found in abundance across much of the Midwest. But populations have declined to near extinction over the past century. Today, this great American bird is losing ground—literally. Best known for its mating “dance” where the male… Read More

The Florida panther is the only cougar species found east of the Mississippi River. Although you’ll see the Florida panther on everything from license plates to the state hockey team’s jersey, this elusive cat was one of the first animals… Read More

Kanapaha Prairie, near Gainesville in Alachua County, is part of north-central Florida’s vast system of wet prairies. As a wet prairie, Kanapaha benefits both Florida’s residents and wildlife: it not only sustains a diversity of birds and other animals, but… Read More

Is saving one mile worth the effort?  It is at Mispillion Harbor, a critical stopover for the red knot. With threats to coastal lands and declining red knot populations, the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan recognizes this vulnerable bird as a “Species of… Read More

We’ve worked for more than a decade to help the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acquire lands for Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. To date, we’ve saved nearly 8,000 acres at the refuge; but conservation at Blackwater is about more than… Read More

In 2011, the Fund worked with the National Park Service to add more than 5,500 acres to Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. Considered a sacred place by the Lakota, Wind Cave is one of the longest and most… Read More

Often referred to as Texas’ last “wild” river, the Neches flows more than 415 miles through east Texas, primarily through the Big Thicket region, and into Sabine Lake on the Gulf Coast, forming a natural boundary between many counties including Van Zandt and… Read More

Our passion for conservation means we’re dedicated to saving land—no matter how complex the project. That’s why, over the past few years, the Fund has helped expand the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge by more than 5,000 acres. The San… Read More

We brought our passion for conservation to our work in Florida’s Thousands Islands, a place where, according to Cocoa Beach Mayor Skip Beeler, “people of all ages are reminded of the magic of nature.” Thanks to the Fund and a… Read More

When settlers first came to Missouri’s Bootheel region, lush bottomland hardwood forests, including giant cypress and tupelo trees, blanketed the southeastern corner of the state. Over the past century, the forests were cut for lumber, and by the 1930s, most… Read More

High above the Lake Ophelia and Grand Cote national wildlife refuges in central Louisiana, hundreds of thousands of birds quack and honk their way from Alaska to the Gulf of Mexico and back. Known as the Mississippi Flyway, this blue migratory highway in the sky… Read More

The Conservation Fund established the 10,000-acre Palmetto-Peartree Preserve in 1999 with funding from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The preserve serves as an endangered species mitigation bank for the red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW).  Protection of the RCWs at the preserve… Read More

Internationally recognized for the importance of its wetlands, Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, at the tip of the Alaskan peninsula, contains one of the largest eelgrass beds in the world. Threatened Steller’s eider and more than 90 percent of the world’s… Read More

Situated at 3,200 feet above sea level, Canaan Valley is the highest valley of its size east of the Rockies. There is a rich and unusual diversity in this wetland valley, where high altitude and a cold, humid climate produce… Read More

To save some of America’s best forests before they become shopping malls, vineyards or subdivisions, we deploy our New Forest Fund, a dedicated source of capital. Our goal is to purchase and manage key forests as working land that’s sustainably… Read More

In June 2010, we helped protect 2,100 acres along the Totogatic River—one of the few remaining wilderness streams in the state. The property includes 12 miles of river frontage and provides habitat for more than 20 Species of Greatest Conservation Need… Read More

Manatee. Florida Panther.  Two well-known endangered species.  We’ve helped with conservation efforts to save habitat for both these animals; but we’ve also helped with a land conservation project in the Florida Keys that not only saves a beautiful piece of property… Read More

For more than 25 years, the Fund has worked with partners to fulfill their conservation goals.  In 2010, we transferred 125 acres and nearly a mile of shoreline along the James River in Prince George County to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife… Read More

The Ouachita National Forest covers 1.8 million acres across Oklahoma and Arkansas. This beautiful forest has mountains, lakes, rivers and trails open to the public for exploration and recreational activities such as hiking, camping, biking, hunting and fishing. This forest is also the location of what is… Read More