PRESERVED

For nearly 175 years, the Southwestern United States has developed many destinies while reliving a fate played out over and over in the region's history: one culture at a time until almost nothing human was left in one place. This is Vermejo, a 560,000-acre reserve in northern New Mexico that since time immemorial has been home to mountain lions, roaming bison, bears, elk, and antelope, and Indigenous communities.

Vermejo was once overgrazed, mined, and ecologically damaged. In 1996, media mogul Ted Turner bought the land, and with a team, set out to reverse its decline. Today Vermejo is a place where biodiversity thrives, where we see life flourishing—and it’s a model for what can be restored. Vermejo is an unmatched U.S. conservation benchmark and proof that the planet can heal. 
 

Shot over 130+ days, PRESERVED takes viewers into this hidden paradise, showcasing archaeological treasures, early conservation efforts, and the restoration of North America’s largest inland trout population. It follows the people working together to restore the land, from seasoned scientists and geologists to those who are just getting started as stewards of the land. Witness never-documented-before animal behavior such as bears stealing mountain lion kills and microscopic worlds within worlds in water-filled potholes.
 

Across the West, local communities and ranchers are coming together to solve ecological challenges in place-based ways. Vermejo is a global blueprint for restoration—one that is especially urgent in the face of wildfires, drought, and species loss.
 

Featuring insights from conservation leaders such as Lance Bernal, Gus Holm, Mike Philips, Carter Kruse, Kris Tompkins, Sophie Gilbert, Craig Childs, and Ted Turner
 

IMPACT

Our impact campaign lifts up possibilities for action and reconnection. Vermejo’s broad landscape is a refuge for endangered species, historians, and conservationists alike. But anyone can contribute, from small farmers to backyard gardeners to hunters and hikers. It's about working together to build a common vision and succeed in restoring our world.

“You can change the story, even one as complex as the one we're swimming in today.”
—Kris Tompkins, Co-Founder Tompkins Conservation