Big Wins in Land Conservation in 2025

Sunken Meadow

A new chapter for Virginia’s Eastern Shore starts with the protection of 700 acres at Sunken Meadow, a stunning coastal landscape along the Chesapeake Bay. This property includes tidal marshes, maritime forests and wetlands that provide critical habitat for migratory birds, fish and countless other species. By conserving Sunken Meadow, we’re preserving one of the largest remaining natural areas on the Eastern Shore. This land also connects to other protected areas, creating a vital corridor for wildlife.

Huerfano River Canyon Ranch

The acquisition of the 10,300-acre Huerfano River Canyon Ranch is a major win for Colorado’s wild places. This stunning landscape features 11 miles of the Huerfano River, framed by cottonwood woodlands, marshes and dramatic pinyon-juniper cliffs. It’s a haven for black bears, pronghorn and thriving elk herds — and home to the rare Colorado checkered whiptail lizard, found only in this region.

By protecting this property, we’re keeping vital habitats connected across southeastern Colorado, ensuring wildlife has room to roam and rivers stay clean.

Sand Lake/Seven Beavers Preserve

The Nature Conservancy has achieved its largest Minnesota land acquisition in 25 years — protecting more than 12,000 acres of pristine forest and freshwater habitat in the Northwoods. This expansion nearly triples the size of the Sand Lake/Seven Beavers Preserve, creating a connected network of more than 40,000 acres vital for iconic wildlife like moose, lynx and rare songbirds. The newly conserved land includes eight miles of shoreline, high-quality peatlands and the headwaters of rivers flowing into Lake Superior and the Boundary Waters.

Bobcat Alley

The Nature Conservancy has protected more than 450 additional acres in northwestern New Jersey along Bobcat Alley, a 96,000-acre wildlife corridor within the Appalachian Mountains. This area includes mature forests, cold-water streams and rock outcrops that provide ideal conditions for state-endangered bobcats and other species including wood turtles. 

Heath Canyon Ranch

Nestled near Big Bend National Park, the more than 650-acre Heath Canyon Ranch is a critical addition to one of Texas’s most breathtaking and ecologically important regions. This land bridges a critical gap between existing protected areas, preserving high-quality wildlife habitat and more than a mile of year-round Rio Grande riverfront. Home to more than 250 plant species — several found nowhere else on Earth — the property provides refuge for diverse wildlife, and expands public access to hiking, wildlife viewing and river recreation. 

Brush Creek

We’ve saved more than 1,100 acres of habitat along Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Front — our largest acquisition in the region to date. This newly protected area safeguards critical wildlife corridors and habitats for species like the Indiana bat, golden-winged warbler and black bears. With pristine forests, cold-water streams and scenic ridgelines, the land will also be open for public recreation, including hiking and fishing. This milestone also helps strengthen climate resilience across the iconic Appalachian landscape.

Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota

We’ve reached a historic conservation milestone! The Nature Conservancy has protected over 1 million acres of land and water across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota —an area the size of Rhode Island. This achievement reflects nearly 70 years of collaboration with partners including Native Nations. From boreal forests and prairie preserves to winding rivers and wetlands, these lands provide clean water, shelter wildlife and offer places for people to connect with nature.