Unique characteristics like diverse geology make these places resilient to some of climate change's impacts. They give species a refuge where they can find the conditions they need to thrive. Visit these places The Nature Conservancy helped protect.
LessThe Davis Mountains, a “sky island," rise abruptly from the surrounding Chihuahuan desert. The mix of forests, grasslands, canyons and creeks provides opportunities for many species to find suitable conditions, even in a changing climate.This cooler and wetter oasis also provides habitat for plants and wildlife unable to live in the desert. This 33,075 acre preserve sits among 110,000+ acres TNC has conserved in the Davis Mountains. Its Madera Canyon Trail is currently open to visitors.
From the glaciated peaks of Olympic National Park, the Hoh River runs through lowland rainforests full of mosses and ferns to the Pacific. The Hoh Tribe has long stewarded these lands, which store immense amounts of carbon dioxide and host one of the healthiest wild salmon runs in the lower 48 states. Outside park boundaries, stretches of the forest are recovering from logging. TNC is working to restore habitat corridors along the river to increase the area's climate resiliency.
The region is called Monsoon Passage due to summer monsoons that provide moisture that buffers rising temperatures. It's a pathway for species moving north: a climate change escape route. The connected mountain ranges and wet valley bottoms form a natural highway for desert tortoises, bighorn sheep, Cooper’s hawk, and other species, allowing them to shift their ranges to where they can thrive. TNC is helping map and plan conservation here. You can visit via Great Basin NP or Pahranagat NWR.
The Edge of Appalachia is a crown jewel of biological diversity with more than 100 rare plant and animal species, including Indiana bat, green salamander and Allegheny woodrat. It's a network of 11 contiguous preserves owned and managed by TNC and the Cincinnati Museum Center across southern Ohio. This collection of woodland, prairie openings, waterfalls and clear streams give species different neighborhoods to move into as climates change. Visitors can traverse several hiking trails.