The Nature Conservancy - North Texas

The Nature Conservancy

Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a leading environmental conservation organization, working around the world to protect land and water for nature and people. Everything we do is rooted in strong science and is driven by pragmatic solutions to the most pressing conservation threats. We have protected more than 125 million acres of land and thousands of miles of rivers, and manage over 100 marine conservation projects globally. 

Since the Texas Chapter began in 1964, we’ve locally protected one million acres of land and more than 200 miles of stream and river habitat, established 37 nature preserves and more than 160 easements, and worked with local, state and federal agencies to create and expand parks and wildlife refuges. As we protect Texas’ unique landscapes, water resources, and native plants and animals, we are contributing to healthy ecosystems and serving all Texas residents.  

Building a Resilient, Green North Texas

Dallas-Fort Worth is the fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). Rapid growth puts pressure on our natural resources, exacerbating challenges such as urban heat, air and water pollution, flooding, and loss of urban green space. It is TNC's goal to work collaboratively in order to advance healthy and resilient ecosystems and communities in North Texas and beyond.

In North Texas, TNC is working with valued partners and community leaders to:

• Investing in nature for flood resilience in the Trinity River Basin by creating innovative tools to protect and restore floodplain areas. This work supports the health of the river basin by providing decision-makers with the resources they need to reduce the negative impacts of development on the floodplain, which helps protect wildlife habitat and prevents destructive flooding. Learn about our Floodplain Prioritization Tool here.
• Establish green stormwater infrastructure to absorb and clean storm water runoff. This is an important tool in combating water pollution and storm damage in cities; rainwater carries trash, bacteria and pollutants into local waterways via storm sewers, and heavy rain can quickly saturate the ground, particularly in cities short on green spaces, damaging property and infrastructure. The use of green stormwater infrastructure allows filtration and absorption of stormwater where it falls, which helps to prevent flooding, contamination of waterways, and other problems. Read more about this work.
• Improving parks and green spaces for the health and enjoyment of all residents. Enhancing the green spaces in cities increases the community's access to nature, protects and restores the natural ecology of the landscape, improves biodiversity and resilience and provides learning opportunities for visitors. 
• Explore the intersection between environment and health. With the establishment of the Breathe Easy Dallas program, TNC helped pioneer efforts to track the effects of pollution on childhood asthma. The City of Dallas is now administering this important program.
• Support Youth Conservation Corps efforts to increase green spaces in the city while supporting student learning.

The work that TNC conducts to support the resilience and natural ecology of Dallas is replicable, and likely to influence similar efforts in other urban spaces in Texas and beyond.

Clymer Meadow

TNC's Clymer Meadow Preserve, located northeast of Dallas, contains some of the largest remnants of the Blackland Prairie—the Texas version of the tallgrass prairie that once stretched from the Texas coast to Canada. Tallgrass prairies are considered one of the most endangered landscapes in North America. Once reaching over 12 million acres, the Blackland Prairie ecoregion of North Texas now contains less than 0.1% in virgin, unplowed condition, with most pieces of remnant prairie spanning fewer than 100 acres. Clymer Meadow, a rare 1,443-acre “island” of natural history, is an excellent example of these prairies, making the preserve is a key site for research and educational activities.

Beyond preserving native habitat, TNC’s prairie restoration efforts are offering additional benefits, from absorbing and storing carbon to improving water quality. In particular, TNC’s work here has improved the water quality of a nearby portion of the Arnold Creek watershed, which impacts water supplies for Dallas, Houston and many communities in between.

Clymer Meadow also supports a plethora of wildlife and plant species, including imperiled grasses. The preserve hosts a variety of important wildflowers, and TNC has made additional efforts to plant milkweed to further support pollinators like monarch butterflies. In addition, the prairie provides habitat for many seasonal bird species.