When Lance and Lisa Wheeler bought land in Colorado to build a family ranch, their ambition was to raise healthy food and create a sustainable way of farming. More than a decade later, their land is also becoming a refuge for grassland birds. According to Audubon Rockies, which published the couple’s story on August 31, 2026, bird species recorded at their Rafter W Ranch increased from 29 in 2019 to 37 in 2025, while grassland-bird detections doubled from 178 to 356. The numbers offer a striking glimpse of what can happen when livestock production and conservation are managed together.
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