Together We Can Expand Heartland Ranch Nature Preserve

The Southern Plains Land Trust (SPLT) aims to restore the American Serengeti. We are inspired by voices from the past. In 1843, acclaimed naturalist John James Audubon set out on a journey westward to experience the Great Plains of North America. He longed to visit the vast unsettled prairies and see for himself the herds of bison, packs of wolves, grizzly bears, elk, pronghorn, and other animals that he had heard fantastic stories about. Still, he was not prepared for the magnitude of wildlife that he witnessed.

In a letter to his wife, Audubon wrote,
"In fact, it is impossible to describe or even conceive the vast multitudes of these animals that exist even now, and feed upon these ocean-like prairies."

Environmental historian Dan Flores documents how other accounts from the Great Plains echo Audubon's sentiments. It was truly an American Serengeti, teeming with an awe-inspiring and dazzling abundance of diverse wildlife.

We invite you to join Southern Plains Land Trust and be a part of our wild prairie vision.

Today, our grasslands are among the most endangered ecosystems globally. We have already lost about 50% of the shortgrass prairie through conversion to other uses. Species that were once too numerous to count, such as bison, pronghorn, swift foxes, and prairie dogs - just to name a few - are forced to survive on a shrinking patchwork of remaining prairie.

But there is something we can do! Your support has helped to protect over 32,000 acres of shortgrass prairie in SPLT's preserve network. Together, we have the opportunity to add another 17,887 acres of native grassland, bringing our network to 50,000 acres and expanding Heartland Ranch Nature Preserve to almost 43,000 acres total. (Heartland Ranch would then be 2.5 times larger than Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge!)

We need to act now in order to gain more ground for prairie wildlife. Scientists have identified southeast Colorado as a biodiversity hotspot. The extensive unplowed, native grasslands and varied topography make this region the perfect place to start restoring the American Serengeti. Your gift will create a place where wildlife is given total refuge, and wild prairie abounds.