LAND
WATER
CLIMATE
PEOPLE
GLOBAL
LAND
Dunn Ranch Prairie © The Nature Conservancy
From the Ground Up Real-world solutions to protect our lands M issouri packs a world of landscapes into one state. Deep-rooted prairies adorned with hundreds of species of grasses and wildflowers. Caves that
included stewarding our own preserves across the state, but the mission extends beyond property lines. With the help of our partners, we leverage our preserves to develop, test and demonstrate practices that are good for the land and that make good financial sense for landowners and communities. We share those lessons and pitch in to support conservation efforts across the state. More than 93 percent of Missouri land is privately owned. For people and nature to thrive, it will take all of us working together. Whether it’s helping ranchers implement sustainable grazing methods or teaming up with state fire crews on controlled burns, sustainable land management practices have a powerful impact. They can boost soil fertility, sequester carbon, conserve water and create habitat. Working with others to create solutions and put those solutions to work is crucial to building a strong, healthy Missouri.
number in the thousands. Ancient Ozark mountains that predate the Rockies by more than a billion years. More than 100 natural communities, with unique terrain and inhabitants, live within Missouri’s borders. This variety is embedded in the state’s marrow, but it will take a dogged effort, rooted in science, to carry it into the future. Twin crises of plunging biodiversity and a changing climate are playing out around the globe. Missouri is not immune. The Nature Conservancy took up the mission to conserve and protect Missouri’s vital landscapes more than 60 years ago. TNC works to boost biodiversity, repairing and nurturing the habitats that shelter native plants and wildlife. That has long
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