When migrating snow geese fly in flocks of thousands to the Colorado grasslands, they honk along their journey. At the May Ranch, they fill the sky in vast formations, breaking off to wheel down onto fields in gracefully banked turns, honking, honking. It’s magical to behold.

It’s not just the snow geese one might see in this eco-wonderland of the high-plains grasslands. You’ll also see deer, buffalo, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and an incredible variety of plants. Mixed in with the grasslands, fluttering moths pollinate wild flowers that bloom like joy itself in spring. All of this helps to store carbon in plants and in the soil.

Grasslands are, as you know, one of Earth’s great stores of carbon, sequestering as much as 200 tonnes per acre. With an area of 14,500 acres, there’s a lot of carbon under May Ranch. That’s great for our planet. But it could be different. Grasslands are under economic pressure to be plowed or developed. Over half of all grasslands in the U.S. have been lost, along with much of their climate-saving benefits. The conservation easement that this project, with your support, has helped put in place will preserve May Ranch and its millions of tonnes of naturally stored carbon in perpetuity.

The snow geese migrate five thousand miles twice a year, so stopping for a break at May Ranch is well deserved. Thank you for supporting this project, and the snow geese, in 2018.