Fostering Art, Nature and Dialogue on TNC’s Fox Ranch Preserve
Actions Support Rural Renaissance in Yuma County, Colorado
Media Contacts
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Tracey Stone
Media Relations
Phone: 602-738-1586
Email: tstone@tnc.org
Imagine hearing the clear, resonant calls of greater prairie chickens, the soft hoots of burrowing owls and the fluttering of 170 bird species. These captured natural sounds are part of a unique effort to breathe new life into the rural town of Joes, Colorado.
The Prairie Sea Projects is an immersive initiative developed by artist and community activist Maureen Hearty and arts curator Kirsten Stoltz. The program blends art, ecology and community engagement. It’s a creative response to decades of economic and population decline due to limited job opportunities, urban migration and ag consolidation in the High Plains region.
Prairie Sea Projects aim to break down barriers, deepen understanding of the changing environment and reimagine what rural resiliency can look like.
“Our residency program supports artists who engage with local communities, explore place and foster meaningful dialogue,” said Kirsten Stoltz, Prairie Sea Projects co-founder. “Their projects often involve collaboration with farmers, ranchers, teachers and regional museums, enriching the creative process. These partnerships deepen appreciation for local heritage and rural life while encouraging cultural exchange and economic vitality.”
Cottonwood Stand Dawn Chorus
by Jacob Job, Prairie Sea Projects
One of the project’s recent collaborators is renowned natural sound recordist Jacob Job, who just completed a residency at The Nature Conservancy (TNC)’s Fox Ranch Preserve, about 20 miles northeast of Joes. Using state-of-the-art equipment, he captured the prairie’s soundscape that brings this place to life. Visit Prairie Sea Projects’ SoundCloud to hear more.
“I was taken aback at how little noise pollution I encountered while working on the ranch,” added Job, communications director, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. “This freed up sound from birds, frogs and other natural noises to travel much farther, recreating what the Great Plains must have sounded like before the invention of the engine. It was a privilege to experience this.”
Job uses his recordings to raise awareness about conservation. Bird Conservancy partners with organizations across the country to protect birds and their habitats.
The Nature Conservancy in Colorado manages the 14,070-acre Fox Ranch Preserve and is committed to protecting the prairie, cottonwood-lined river and a remarkable diversity of bird life.
“This partnership helps people experience the prairie in a new way that deepens their understanding of why this landscape matters. At Fox Ranch, we’re not just conserving the land and water, we’re cultivating connection,” said Tyler Smith, The Nature Conservancy in Colorado’s conservation steward.
This summer, Fox Ranch will host a writer, a graphic artist and a youth film workshop as part of the Prairie Sea Projects’ creative residency, as well as interns from Redlands University, the Weld County Youth Conservation Corps, Denver Botanic Gardens and researchers from around the state. TNC manages Fox Ranch for both conservation and agricultural values, and it serves as a world-class site for prairie research.
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The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more resilient. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 81 countries and territories (40 by direct conservation impact and 41 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit nature.org or follow @nature_press on X.
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