Make a Difference in Arizona
For more than 50 years, The Nature Conservancy in Arizona has partnered with communities, businesses and state leadership to achieve conservation solutions that sustain Arizona’s freshwater, forests, grasslands, wildlife and rich biodiversity. From the high mountain forests, down our flowing rivers, to our booming cities, we continue to innovate and address new challenges.

2023 Photo Contest Winners Announced
The 10th Annual Adventures in Nature Student Photography Contest, in partnership with Arizona Highways magazine and Cox Communications, honored nine winners on May 11th, 2023.

Event
Bird Watching Walks
March 4, 2023 - May 27, 2023
Learn about the resident and migrating birds, from gray hawks to vermilion flycatchers to thick-billed kingbirds, as well as the environmental history of the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve.
In this issue, we talk about our work with agriculture in the Verde Valley and protecting the Sonoita Creek wildlife corridor.
DOWNLOADIn this issue, we talk about climate change, the mysteries of the pine forest, how to manage forest fires and so much more.
DOWNLOADWe Can’t Save Nature Without You
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Wins for Arizona, Wins for Earth
Our Beginnings
Since 1966, The Nature Conservancy has protected more than 1.5 million acres of Arizona lands important to people and wildlife. We’ve harnessed science and partnerships to keep our rivers flowing and our forests and grasslands healthy.
1970–1979
During the ’70s, the Conservancy protected some of southern Arizona’s iconic lands and waters, from properties along the San Pedro River to the Phoenix area, where we helped secure Squaw Peak as part of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve.


Worked with the Defenders of Wildlife and the George Whittell Trust to purchase Aravaipa Canyon Preserve. One of the Southwest’s natural wonders, Aravaipa Canyon and the creek running through it cuts a jagged 11-mile gash through the Sonoran Desert uplands.
1980–1989
In the ‘80s, the Conservancy purchased two lands that would become the Muleshoe Ranch and Hassayampa River preserves, and acquired two properties that became national wildlife refuges.


Purchased the Muleshoe Ranch, and signed a Cooperative Management Agreement with the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service covering the ranch’s 55,000 acres. Muleshoe has some of the finest native fish streams in Arizona.

Purchased three properties along the Verde River to help create the Verde River Greenway, now managed by Arizona State Parks.
Purchased, then protected with a conservation easement, the 321,000-acre Gray Ranch in southwestern New Mexico which pioneered the concept of a grassbank. That preceded the incorporation in 1993 of the Malpai Borderlands Group, one of the first and most successful landowner-led collaborative conservation groups that works with scientists, government agencies and conservation groups, like the Conservancy.

Worked with Arizona State Parks to purchase and protect the 22,000-acre San Rafael Ranch, a scenic southern Arizona grassland where the movie “Oklahoma” was filmed.
2010–2019
This decade saw our work expanding along the Verde River, our ponderosa pine forests and our largest city, Phoenix, to make it greener and more liveable.


TNC celebrated 50 years of collaborative conservation in Arizona. TNC’s first project, the purchase of the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, has some of the oldest and tallest Fremont cottonwood trees in the Southwest, and is considered one of the premier bird-watching sites in the United States.

With partners, developed the Verde River Exchange Water Offset Program that allows a surface water user to be compensated for using less water in a given year without giving up the rights to that water in following years.
As a partner in the Cochise Conservation and Recharge Network, ramped up water recharge efforts to capture 1 billion gallons of water and save 1 billion gallons from future pumping. Result: 2 billion gallons yearly to replenish groundwater and add to San Pedro River flows.

Launched the Future Forest Project to restore forest health in Arizona’s forests, benefitting communities, clean water and wildlife.
Worked with a Verde Valley farm family to grow a low-water-use-crop—barley—in place of high-water-use crops. Invested in Sinagua Malt to purchase the barley to sell to brewpubs to make a “water-friendly” beer.

Celebrated the Park Central Farm project, in which the Conservancy worked with Hauser and Hauser Farms to purchase and protect 1,000 acres of farmland and open space, and a valuable streamside forest for native fish and wildlife.

Led a major Conservancy study which found that large-scale thinning of Arizona’s overgrown forests will lead to increased carbon storage. The quicker the thinning, the more carbon stored.
2020 and beyond
With the new decade, we're expanding our urban program and our clean air/clean energy work while continuing to restore our rivers, lands and forests. This work—so vital to this great state we call home—could not have been possible without our many supporters.


See the Places We Protect in Your Community
From ponderosa pine forests to desert grasslands, explore our preserves across the state of Arizona.

Volunteer for Nature
Volunteers allow us to increase our effectiveness and complete more critically important.