Arkansas

Explore

The Nature Conservancy in Arkansas works to protect The Natural State for future generations. Explore our work and get an insider’s view into our projects, preserves and work!

McRee Anderson waving -- TNC [215x143]McRee Anderson © TNC
Arkansas’s (Controlled) Burning Man

Watch this video to learn about one of The Nature Conservancy’s fire experts, McRee Anderson, as he travels from Arkansas to Africa to learn and teach about controlled burning to help people, water, and wildlife.

AR080609_D022Karst -- or cave -- terrain is abundant throughout the Ozark Highlands of northern Arkansas, southern Missouri and eastern Oklahoma. © TNC
30 Years of Conservation in The Natural State

2012 marked the 30th anniversary of The Nature Conservancy in Arkansas.

Little-Red-River-InlanderLittle Red River © Ethan Inlander
Year-end Report

Stay abreast of recent accomplishments in Arkansas – read our 2012 year-end report!

WOPA091018_D172September 28, 2009 - Casscoe, Arkansas. Wildlife Farms is a premiere hunting and fishing lodge located on 1,750 acres along the White River, which is considered one of North America's most important wintering grounds for migratory waterfowl. The property has over 5.5 miles of river frontage and contains flooded, old growth hardwood timber, oxbow lakes, and flooded fields specifically managed for waterfowl. © Erika Nortemann
Birds of a Feather Flock Together

Hunting is a great way to instill in kids a love of nature and the need to be good stewards of the earth’s natural resources.

ARFO071108_D003The Conservancy works to implement designs for the new channel at Benson Creek, which flows into Bayou DeView in Arkansas. Once completed, TNC will have constructed 2.5 miles of new channel, complete with outlaying wetlands and oxbox lakes, and will have replanted 440 surrounding acres of marginal cropland with more than 13,000 hardwood seedlings. © TNC
Conservation and Business in Arkansas

Conservation and business can work hand-in-hand. See how we’re doing just that in Arkansas.

Woodpeckersred-cockaded woodpecker © Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission
Endangered Species of Arkansas

The Nature Conservancy and our partners focus on preserving habitat for endangered species throughout the state.

spWOPA060210_F103Beach at Ozark Campground at Buffalo National River in Arkansas. In December 2004, TNC purchased a 1,226-acre tract (Smith River Preserve) connecting the 95,000-acre Buffalo National River Wilderness Area with the 1.2-million acre Ozark National Forest. © Harold E. Malde
Helping Map Green Spaces for the Ozarks

We are helping to identify the highest-priority areas for conservation in the Ozarks.

spWOPA070122_D002Closeup view of Zebra mussels from the Detroit River. © Center for Great Lakes and Aquatic Sciences
Invasive Species

See which invasive species have invaded the Natural State – and what you can do to stop them.

WOPA100408_D013 2010-10-07 490x250(ALL INTERNAL, LIMTED EXTERNAL USES) (ALL INTERNAL, LIMTED EXTERNAL USES) Humming bird (most likely a juvenile Ruby-throated hummingbird) in flight in West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest. The Monongahela National Forest was established in 1920.?Located in the north central highlands of West Virginia, the Monongahela straddles the highest ridges in the State. The Nature Conservancy has acquired and protected thousands of acres in the Monongahela forest. PHOTO CREDIT: ? Kent Mason © Kent Mason
Migratory Birds

Arkansas hosts many migratory birds because of its geography and habitat.

AR080619_D009A scenic creek in Arkansas. © TNC
Minimizing Sediment at the Upper Little Red River

We worked to stabilize 375 feet of stream bank so as to reduce erosion and sedimentation.

AR080605_D004 2010-08-25 PreviewAt 243 acres, Terre Noire Preserve in southwest Arkansas is one of the best remaining blackland prairie complexes in the state. © The Nature Conservancy
Restoring Biodiversity in a Rare Ecosystem

The Conservancy has been working with a private landowner to restore much of his Blackland property.

AR080609_D003A salamander in an Arkansas cave. © TNC
Shaping Conservation in the Natural State

What happens on the surface directly impacts the fragile karst systems below.

AR080609_D013At Benson Slash Creek, located in the Big Woods of Arkansas, Conservancy staff worked to turn a ditch back into a free-flowing stream, complete with meanders and oxbow lakes and 440 acres of surrounding, replanted trees. © TNC
Working Wonders Through State Wildlife Grants

State wildlife grants help protect terrestrial and aquatic habitat.

AR080605_D001The Conservancy owns a preserve on Big Piney Creek in Arkansas. © TNC
Muddy Waters Spell Trouble

Sedimentation is one of the biggest threats to Arkansas’ rivers and streams.

AR080607_D001The Nature Conservancy in Arkansas have two prescribed fire crews that restore fire to fire-dependent landscapes throughout the state. © Scott Simon
Overcrowded Forests: Why We Burn

Prescribed Burns Can Help to Thin and Restore Overly-Dense Forests.

AR080610_D017Wildflowers at bloom at Baker Prairie, which is co-owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy and the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission. © TNC
Restoring an Arkansas Prairie

Baker Prairie is all that is left of a once 5,000-acre tallgrass prairie in northwest Arkansas.

AR080609_D033Since 1998, Conservancy karst -- or cave -- staff in Arkansas have described 20 species new to science, protected several caves and installed more than 24 cave gates. © Jay Harrod
Saving the Last Great Places Under Earth

Scientists have learned that protecting fragile karst ecosystems has direct benefits for humans.

AR080609_D036The Nature Conservancy in Arkansas have two prescribed fire crews that restore fire to fire-dependent landscapes throughout the state. © Jay Harrod
Fire Restoration in Arkansas

Forty-two percent of Arkansas' rare species depend on fire to maintain their habitat.

WOPA050830_D002Shrimp boats tied up at Conn Brown Harbor, Aransas Pass, Texas. Gulf of Mexico. © William B. Folsom/NMFS
A Businessman’s Fish Story

Fishing around this world has given Mark a local-to-global perspective on the need for conservation.

Read More

Photo Special Features TabLion in Maasai Mara, Kenya, Africa. © Kenneth K. Coe

Close Encounters with Nature

Whether scary or exciting, nature has a way of sneaking up on you. See stories

Arden OConnor 215x143Arden O’Connor. © Lajla LeBlanc

Nature Matters

Hear some of nature's success stories and see how nature matters to us all. Watch videos

Explore Related Content

Global Karst Work
Rare animals depend upon the conservation of karst habitat. See what we are doing to conserve caves
Our History in Arkansas
We've got 30 years of conservation experience in The Natural State. Learn more