Best Protected

The Biebrza Marshes represent a vast, riverine wetland area in northeastern Poland. Designated as a Ramsar site and part of the country’s largest national park, this complex is notable for its exceptional biodiversity and crucial role in flood regulation. It supports diverse bird populations, includ...

Ölüdeniz, commonly referred to as the Blue Lagoon, is a protected coastal cove and lagoon situated in the Fethiye district of Muğla Province, Turkey. Designated as a Special Environmental Protection Area, it is a geographic anomaly where a calm, clear saltwater lagoon meets the open Mediterranean Se...

The Esteros del Ibera is a vast freshwater marshland located in northeastern Argentina. It’s notable for harboring exceptional biodiversity including capybaras, jabiru storks, and caimans – many species found nowhere else. The reserve protects this unique wetland ecosystem. It's of interest to resea...

Sipadan Reef is a protected marine conservation area located off the coast of Sabah, Malaysia. It’s notable for its exceptionally rich biodiversity including significant populations of green and hawksbill turtles alongside sharks, rays, and vibrant coral formations. The reef thrives on an extinct vo...

The Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve is a protected prairie in Thurston County, Washington, near Littlerock. Established in 1976, the preserve protects a distinctive landscape of uniform, dome-shaped gravel mounds rising from native grassland. The origin of the mounds remains debated, with proposed...

The Bangweulu Wetlands represent a vast freshwater marshland within Zambia’s floodplain. This protected area is notable for supporting substantial populations of the endangered black lechwe antelope and harboring diverse wetland flora including papyrus reeds. It provides critical habitat for numerou...

The Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve is a protected conservation area located in the southeastern region of Manitoba, Canada, near the town of Tolstoi. It safeguards one of the largest remaining fragments of untouched tallgrass prairie in North America, an ecosystem that has been reduced to less...

The Samuel H. Ordway Jr. Memorial Prairie is a 7,800-acre nature preserve located in South Dakota. Managed by The Nature Conservancy, the site is dedicated to the restoration and maintenance of mixed-grass prairie ecosystems. It provides a protected habitat for native wildlife, including grassland b...

The Kitty Todd Nature Preserve is a protected natural area located in the Oak Openings region of northwest Ohio. Managed by The Nature Conservancy, it safeguards a globally rare ecosystem characterized by oak savannas, wet prairies, and sandy soil deposits left by ancient glaciers. The preserve serv...

Managed by The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin, Spring Green Preserve is an arid sand prairie and oak savanna ecosystem. The preserve is distinguished by its sandy soil and dry conditions, which create a unique habitat for desert-adapted species. It is often referred to as the Wisconsin Desert due t...

May Prairie State Natural Area is a protected tallgrass prairie remnant located in Tennessee. It is one of the few remaining unplowed prairie remnants in the southeastern United States, preserving a habitat type that was once more widespread in the region. The site contains over 300 documented plant...

The Palmyra Atoll Reef is a coral reef ecosystem located within the central Pacific Ocean. It’s notable as a largely undisturbed marine environment recognized by the United States and protected as part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. The reef supports significant populations...

The Rosalia Longhorn Beetle is a protected beetle belonging to the Cerambycidae family. It’s notable for its distinctive blue-grey exoskeleton marked with black spots. This species is exclusively found in old-growth beech forests of Europe and is particularly important for monitoring forest health....

Rick Evans Grandview Prairie is a 4,885-acre state wildlife management area located in Hempstead County, Arkansas. Acquired in 1997, it represents the largest remaining contiguous tract of blackland prairie ecosystem in the state. The area is characterized by its unique alkaline soil and serves as a...

Playa de Rodas is a stunning white-sand beach located on the Cíes Islands, off the coast of Spain. Designated as part of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park, it’s notable for its pristine environment and exceptional clarity of water. The beach's protected status ensures its preservation. I...

The West Eugene Wetlands Prairie is a conservation and restoration area located in the western Willamette Valley in Oregon, near Eugene. It protects rare wet prairie habitat within an urban environment, including federally listed plant species such as Bradshaw's lomatium and Willamette daisy. The pr...

Cressmoor Prairie Nature Preserve in Indiana is a 44-acre black soil tallgrass prairie remnant, recognized as one of the most pristine remaining examples of this rare ecosystem.

The Ras Mohammed Reef constitutes a significant fringing reef system along the Red Sea coast of Egypt. It’s notable as the nation’s inaugural marine protected area, created in 1983 to safeguard its biodiversity. The reef supports exceptional coral and fish populations attracting divers and snorkeler...

Irwin Prairie State Nature Preserve is a 218-acre protected natural area located in Lucas County, Ohio. The preserve is ecologically significant for maintaining one of the finest remaining wet prairie and oak savanna ecosystems in the Midwestern United States. Its landscape is characterized by poorl...

Located in Florida, Myakka Prairie is a dry prairie ecosystem within Myakka River State Park, notable for providing crucial habitat for the endangered Florida grasshopper sparrow.

Rush Creek State Natural Area is a protected reserve in Wisconsin notable for its expansive dry prairies and oak savannas overlooking the Mississippi River.

Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe represents one of Europe’s largest and most significant tidal salt marshes. This area in the Netherlands was created by the 1530 St. Felix's flood, permanently submerging settlements along the Scheldt estuary. It is a protected natural environment vital for studying co...

Cherokee Prairie Natural Area is a 232-acre protected site located in the Arkansas River Valley. It is notable for preserving one of the largest remaining tracts of native tallgrass prairie in the region, an ecosystem that has largely been lost to agriculture and development. The area features nativ...

Ordway Prairie is a nature preserve located in Minnesota's glacial ridge region. Protected by The Nature Conservancy, it consists of mesic tallgrass prairie habitat, one of the most threatened ecosystems in North America. The preserve serves as a sanctuary for native prairie flora and fauna, includi...

Tandy Hills Natural Area Prairie is a 160-acre preserve in Texas, notable for containing one of the best preserved remnants of native Fort Worth Prairie and its annual spring wildflower blooms.

The Ljubljana Marsh is a significant wetland area located in Slovenia. It’s recognized for its unique karst landscape featuring peat formations and substantial biodiversity. Archaeological investigations within the marsh have yielded remarkable finds, most notably the world's oldest known wooden whe...

Seven Sisters Prairie is a Minnesota nature preserve situated on a chain of seven glacial hills, noted for its rare dry hill prairie and local wildlife.

Glacial Heritage Preserve is a prairie reserve in Washington, notable for its ecological restoration efforts and its vital role in conserving the endangered Taylor's checkerspot butterfly.

Kernen Prairie is a research facility managed by the University of Saskatchewan that preserves a significant expanse of unbroken native fescue grassland.