Saving Land. For Everyone. Forever.

The Santa Fe Conservation Trust partners with our community to keep northern New Mexico’s living lands and people flourishing together. We protect culturally and environmentally significant landscapes, ignite people’s passion for nature and enable the continual regeneration of our healthy place. We envision a future where everyone in northern New Mexico cherishes nature and works to preserve it for this and future generations.

New Mexico’s stunning, untouched landscapes—the life–supporting lands essential for healthy wildlife, clean air, pure water, and food–producing soils—are rapidly disappearing. The Santa Fe Conservation Trust is helping to create a network of natural, open lands in and around our communities, forever protected for all living creatures. By providing landowners with tools to place their lands into voluntary conservation status, we now oversee the protection of more than 46,000 acres in northern New Mexico.

We are a private non-profit organization, supported by the generosity of hundreds of people who share our passion- a healthy environment sustaining a healthy community. Learn more about the Santa Fe Conservation Trust and ways you can join us in our efforts to save the enchantment of Northern New Mexico.

What We Do

Conserve Land

Since 1993, the Santa Fe Conservation Trust has partnered with many landowners to protect their properties in perpetuity. The Santa Fe Conservation Trust currently holds 111 conservation easements protecting over 46,000 acres, and we own 4 fee title properties totaling over 900 acres, in Santa Fe, San Miguel and Rio Arriba counties. We monitor these beautiful, protected lands annually, in perpetuity, ensuring they increase in value to society over time as growth comes to the Land of Enchantment.

Create Trails

SFCT has been involved in the creation of the Dale Ball Trails, Atalaya Trail, Santa Fe Rail Trail, the Spur Trail, La Tierra Trails, La Piedra Trail and – with the Commonweal conservancy – the Galisteo Basin Preserve Trails.  SFCT Trails Program works in partnership with the City of Santa Fe, SFCT’s volunteer group, The Trails Alliance of Santa Fe, and other entities to coordinate trail development and construction, organize volunteer trail work, identify and prioritize trail linkages, promote the trails, and provide the public with trail information and access through education programs and events.

Protect Dark Skies

In 1999, New Mexico enacted the Night Sky Protection Act; its purpose is to regulate outdoor night lighting fixtures to preserve and enhance the state’s dark sky while promoting safety, conserving energy and preserving the environment for astronomy. One of the first of its kind in the U.S., the Night Sky Protection Act makes dark skies a priority in New Mexico for the health of its people, wildlife, and economy.

Take Hikes

Santa Fe has many options for interesting walks and hikes, and VÁMONOS offers several walks each month that you can join in on.  Get to know Santa Fe’s beautiful parks and trails, and meet others who like to walk by joining us on a free VÁMONOS walk.  Group walking will help you stay motivated and meet others who like to walk.  We have all levels of walkers, so you can walk at your own pace.