Description
Surrounded by thousands of acres of cool forest and meadows, the 245-acre preserve is home to uncommon wildflowers, old-growth ponderosa pine, a rare grove of Bebb willows, herds of elk and deer, porcupine, prairie dogs, more than 120 species of birds, and more than 250 plant species.
Hart Prairie Preserve, with its historic lodge and charming guest cabins, was donated to The Nature Conservancy in 1994 by a local family, owners of The Homestead at Hart Prairie, when they discovered that their property held a globally rare community of Bebb willow trees.
Much of the work at the preserve focuses on the Bebb willow community, the largest known in the world. Conservancy staff also works closely with partners at the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and various departments at Northern Arizona University on ecological restoration activities in the surrounding National Forest.
