Best State Protected

Zaamin State Nature Reserve is a protected area located in the Jizzakh Region of Uzbekistan, situated within the western Tian Shan mountains. Established to conserve the region's mountain ecosystems, it protects extensive juniper forests alongside diverse flora and fauna. The reserve's rugged terrai...

Chiwaukee Prairie State Natural Area in Wisconsin is notable for being the largest intact wet-mesic prairie in the state and holds the designation of a National Natural Landmark.

Nuratau State Nature Reserve in Uzbekistan protects diverse montane ecosystems and unique flora & fauna, including the endemic Nuratau pheasant, across its rugged landscapes.

Lower Amudarya State Biosphere Reserve, established in 2005 across Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, protects vital wetlands supporting diverse flora & fauna including the critically endangered Saiga antelope and numerous migratory bird species.

Surkhan State Nature Reserve in southern Uzbekistan protects diverse riparian habitats along the Surkhan River and surrounding mountains, safeguarding species like the striped hyena and various birdlife.

Hisar State Reserve in Kazakhstan protects globally important breeding grounds for the Dalmatian pelican and white-winged black tern within a vast wetland ecosystem.

Scuppernong Prairie in Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine State Forest is a wet prairie remnant notable for harboring regionally rare plant species within its poorly drained, acidic soils.

Bluestem Prairie Scientific and Natural Area in Minnesota protects one of the largest remaining tracts of northern tallgrass prairie in the Red River Valley.

Felton Prairie in Minnesota is a designated Important Bird Area notable for its dry sand prairie habitat and resident population of Greater Prairie-Chickens.

Hole-in-the-Mountain Prairie in southwestern Minnesota is a prominent nature preserve protecting steep, dry gravel prairies along the glacial ridge of the Buffalo Ridge.

Muralt Bluff Prairie State Natural Area in Green County, Wisconsin, is a dry limestone prairie remnant notable for its rare plant populations and significant Pleistocene-era geology.

The Suzak State Nature Reserve is a protected area within Uzbekistan’s Syr Darya Valley. It encompasses significant wetland ecosystems crucial for numerous migratory birds, most notably the Dalmatian pelican – one of the world's rarest wading bird species. The reserve supports diverse wildlife and p...

The Pembina Trail Preserve in Minnesota is a protected wet tallgrass aspen parkland, safeguarding a unique transition ecosystem between prairie and northern boreal forest.

Markham Prairie in Illinois is a dedicated nature preserve notable for harboring rare wetlands and serving as a vital ecological study site in the heavily urbanized Chicago region.

Chippewa Prairie in western Minnesota is a notable 2,000-acre preserve that protects remnants of northern tallgrass prairie along the Chippewa River watershed.

Staffanson Prairie Scientific and Natural Area in Minnesota preserves an exceptionally diverse tract of mesic tallgrass prairie situated on a glacial beach ridge.

Kasota Prairie Scientific and Natural Area in Minnesota is a notable preserve containing rare dry hill prairie and indigenous rock art along the Minnesota River Valley.

Wolf Road Prairie is a nature preserve in Cook County, Illinois, notable for being one of the few remaining undisturbed black soil tallgrass prairies in the region.

Bicentennial Prairie Scientific and Natural Area in Minnesota is a remnant dry sand prairie notable for its unique flora adapted to the arid conditions of the Anoka Sand Plain.

Clinton Prairie Scientific and Natural Area in Minnesota safeguards a localized area of wet prairie habitat that provides crucial summer nesting grounds for the bobolink.