Text of Nature Conservancy Sign Center Panel at Ramsey Canyon

The Nature Conservancy is a private non-profit conservation organization. Our 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 survice.

We work in all 50 states and more than 30 countries. The Nature Conservancy and its one million members and supporters worldwide have helped protect more than 117 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of rivers around the world.

Ramsey Canyon Preserve, located within the Upper San Pedro River basin in southeastern Arizona, is renowned for its outstanding scenic beauty and the great diversity of its plant and animal life. This diversity, including such highlights as the occurrence of up to 14 species of hummingbirds, is the result of interplay among geology, biogeography, topography, and climate.

Southeastern Arizona lies in an ecological crossroads. The temperate Rocky Mountains meet the subtropical Sierra Madre Occidental on the regions forested "sky islands" such as the Huachuca Mountains. The Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts also come together here. The region still contains intact native grasslands, and the San Pedro River coridor is a key migratory bird flyway for western North America. The Nature Conservancy works here with many partners to protect these and other valuable natural assets. Joining or making a contribution to the Conservancy is a great way to help.