Our Preserves
Discover the Heart of America's Grasslands
At SPLT, our mission is to protect prairie wildlife by securing and preserving their natural habitats. We have established three expansive preserves in southeastern Colorado, encompassing over 60,000 acres of native grassland. SPLT directly manages over 50,000 acres and holds conservation easements on an additional 6,000 acres. These efforts ensure the conservation of crucial ecosystems, providing safe havens for diverse wildlife. Join us in exploring and supporting these vital landscapes, where education, conservation, and community involvement converge.
Overview
Southern Plains Land Trust has the incredible opportunity to purchase a 458-acre shortgrass prairie property near Las Animas, Colorado. Great Outdoors Colorado and Gates Family Foundation have already generously donated $650,000, which leaves a gap of $115,000 for us to raise in order to finalize the purchase.
Help us create a first-of-its-kind nature hub in Southeastern Colorado!
Flora & Fauna
The property contains mature cottonwood riparian forests, high-quality wetlands, and a small black-tailed prairie dog colony.
The wetlands are freshwater ponds that stay full throughout the year, which support native fish and other aquatic wildlife and represent a critical resource for both migratory and resident waterfowl and passerine birds.
Conservation Efforts
We plan to turn this property into a nature hub for the surrounding community.
We will create publicly accessible trails, install informational signs, set-up bird-banding workshops, and develop a prairie education package for local schools.
Coming soon: Purgatoire River Preserve
Heartland Ranch Nature Preserve
Overview
Heartland Ranch Nature Preserve, established in 2015, covers around 43,000 acres in Bent County, Colorado, protecting pristine shortgrass prairie.
Flora & FAuna
Home to reintroduced bison, pronghorn, mule deer, and elk, the preserve also features seasonal streams and rare plants like Colorado green gentian (Frasera coloradensis).
Conservation Efforts
Overview
Flora & Fauna
This revitalized preserve features feathergrass, needle-and-thread, and hosts pronghorn, coyotes, badgers, raptors, and prairie dogs. Special plants include native echinacea and Colorado Green Gentian.
Conservation Efforts
Efforts include providing full refuge for wildlife and making fences wildlife-friendly.
Fresh Tracks Preserve Complex
Raven's Nest Nature Preserve
Overview
Established in 2013 and expanded in 2015, Raven’s Nest covers nearly 5,000 acres near Heartland Ranch.
Flora & FAuna
The preserve features rolling shortgrass prairie, seasonal creeks, and Dakota sandstone outcroppings. It is home to prairie dogs, coyotes, swift foxes, ferruginous hawks, and burrowing owls. Streams support plains leopard frogs, tiger salamanders, and a variety of water-dwelling species. The area also hosts lizards, toads, skinks, snakes, and the western ornate box turtle.
Conservation Efforts
Named for the Chihuahuan ravens with nests on the property, it includes the Charlotte Adelman and Bernard L. Schwartz Nature Preserve.
Overview
Established in 2003, Quail Ridge Nature Preserve in Lamar, Colorado, covers 89 acres, providing shortgrass prairie open space between housing developments.
Flora & Fauna
The preserve features buffalograss, blue grama, little bluestem, and various wildflowers like blazingstar and sunflower. Wildlife includes scaled quail, ferruginous hawks, Chihuahuan ravens, black-tailed jackrabbits, pronghorn, and coyotes.
Conservation Efforts
Quail Ridge serves as a sanctuary for native flora and fauna amidst urban development, preserving the natural habitat.
Conservation Easement
Quail Ridge Nature Preserve
Conservation Easement
The Wild Animal Sanctuary
Overview
In 2021, The Wild Animal Sanctuary donated a conservation easement on its Refuge in Baca County, Colorado, to SPLT for permanent protection.
Flora & FAuna
The Refuge features rock formations, caves, canyons, grasslands, and juniper woodlands. It provides habitats for rescued grizzly bears, wolves, African lions, tigers, and black bears. Native wildlife like elk, mule deer, and bobcats also find sanctuary here.
Conservation Efforts
SPLT and TWAS are committed to protecting the native species of the shortgrass prairie, with plans to extend the easement to Las Animas County.
Visit the Nature Preserves
We welcome visitors during volunteer weekends and specific events. For tours on our preserves, we’d like to refer you to our partner Reefs to Rockies who organizes customized wildlife-friendly ecotours. More info on www.reefstorockies.com.
To set up a visit, please contact:
Jay Tutchton, Preserve Manager
Educational Field Trips
Free for schools, colleges, and youth groups. Please email Conservation Director kieran@southernplains.org for more information.
Sustaining Members
Donors of $2,500+ can reserve a visit. Please contact
Preserve Manager jay@southernplains.org for more information.
Service Projects
Participate in volunteer work such as fence removal. Check out our events page for upcoming volunteer opportunities or email info@southernplains.org.
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