The Nature Conservancy's mission is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.

We have developed a strategic, science-based planning process, called "Conservation by Design", which helps us identify the highest-priority places, landscapes and seascapes that, if conserved, promise to ensure biodiversity over the long term. Click below to see conservation plans for the ecoregions of Oklahoma (5 - 15 meg files).
 

• Ozarks Ecoregional Conservation Assessment
• Ouachita Ecoregional Conservation Assessment
• Conserving the Biodiversity of the Central Mixed Grass Prairie
• Central Shortgrass Prairie Ecoregional Assessment
• Ecoregional Conservation in the Osage Plains/Flint Hills Prairie
• Southern Shortgrass Prairie Conservation Assessment
• Upper West Gulf Coastal Plain Ecoregional Plan

Preserving Biodiversity:

• The Nickel Preserve has been identified as a key conservation area in the protection of biological diversity in the Ozarks Ecoregion.
   
• The Packsaddle Conservation Area and the Canadian River support a diverse array of high quality natural communities and rare and declining plants and animals.
   
• The Arbuckle Plains are covered with springs and caves with unique fauna, including the Oklahoma cave amphipod, an invertebrate known from only four caves, all of which are located in the Arbuckle Plains.
   
• Bison are an integral part of the restoration of the Tallgrass Prairie.
   

• Since 1993, small groups of dedicated volunteers have gathered at the Oklahoma Chapter’s preserves in June and July to census the butterflies found there.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photos © John Fisher (elk calves); © George Pierson (butterfly)

Species lists compiled by John Fisher.