The Nature Conservancy's Dunn Ranch Prairie, located in the northwest corner of Missouri in Harrison County, welcomed eight bison calves this spring 2012, the first time since the 1840s that purebred baby bison were born on a Missouri prairie. Thirty-six bison had been released within a 1200-acre fenced enclosure on the tallgrass prairie not only to restore a piece of the natural heritage but also to restore the grassland ecosystem. Their eating habits and other behaviors, unlike cattle, increase the number of native plant and animal species on the prairie. The herd at Dunn Ranch Prairie is unusual because it is one of only eight herds in the country that have not been crossbred with cattle (based on standard genetic testing). The Conservancy, with more than 25 years experience in bison management, is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people.