OUR STORY
OUR STORY
Every year tens of thousands of species and functional ecosystems, fine-tuned by time and place, disappear.
If these trends continue, the world will become a dismal place indeed, with silent springs and little left to excite the senses except the weeds. Without doubt, the extinction crisis looms as one of humanity’s most pressing problems.
In response to this crisis, Ted Turner, his family, and Mike Phillips established the Turner Endangered Species Fund (TESF) and Turner Biodiversity Divisions (TBD) in June 1997. TESF focuses on species protected under federal and state endangered species laws, whereas TBD considers species that are at slightly less risk. These companion efforts are dedicated to saving biological diversity by ensuring the persistence of imperiled species and their habitats with an emphasis on private land.
We work closely with our partner organizations, Turner Enterprises, Inc. and the Turner Foundation, and invite collaboration with state and federal agencies, universities, and other private organizations.
Whether managing an extant population or restoring an extirpated one, our goal is population persistence with little or no human intervention. We believe that persistent populations of native species are indicative of a healthy landscape and a high degree of ecosystem integrity.
The problems involved in private stewardship are complex and effective solutions require broad-based sociopolitical, biological, geographical, and fiscal considerations. Though our projects may be controversial, slow to succeed or fraught with uncertainty, we intend to stand as a real solution to the extinction crisis.
NEWSROOM
Bighorn rams spar at the Turner’s Armendaris Ranch in New Mexico.
Bighorn rams spar while drinking water at one of the rain catchments in the Fra Cristobal Mountains on the Armendaris Ranch in New Mexico. Sometimes one good bump deserves another.
A thirsty mountain lion cautiously balances on the rim a livestock tank to get a drink.
A mountain lion balances on the narrow rim of a livestock tank to get a drink of water when an owl attempts to knock him off balance. The owl and it’s mate had been roosted on the rim of the tank just prior to the lions arrival. Water is often scarce in the Chihuahuan...
A collared female mountain lion on the Armendaris Ranch in New Mexico.
Here is a photo of a collared female mountain lion on the Armendaris Ranch in southwestern New Mexico. Mountain lions are collared and tracked in order to study their diets and behavior. The female lion is dragging a freshly killed coyote to concealment cover before...
Every year tens of thousands of species and functional ecosystems, fine-tuned by time and place, disappear.
If these trends continue, the world will become a dismal place indeed, with silent springs and little left to excite the senses except the weeds. Without doubt, the extinction crisis looms as one of humanity’s most pressing problems.
In response to this crisis, Ted Turner, his family, and Mike Phillips established the Turner Endangered Species Fund (TESF) and Turner Biodiversity Divisions (TBD) in June 1997. TESF focuses on species protected under federal and state endangered species laws, whereas TBD considers species that are at slightly less risk. These companion efforts are dedicated to saving biological diversity by ensuring the persistence of imperiled species and their habitats with an emphasis on private land.
We work closely with our partner organizations, Turner Enterprises, Inc. and the Turner Foundation, and invite collaboration with state and federal agencies, universities, and other private organizations.
Whether managing an extant population or restoring an extirpated one, our goal is population persistence with little or no human intervention. We believe that persistent populations of native species are indicative of a healthy landscape and a high degree of ecosystem integrity.
The problems involved in private stewardship are complex and effective solutions require broad-based sociopolitical, biological, geographical, and fiscal considerations. Though our projects may be controversial, slow to succeed or fraught with uncertainty, we intend to stand as a real solution to the extinction crisis.