Back in 1996, billionaire Ted Turner opted to spend around $80 million on one of the national’s largest privately-owned properties – the 558,000 Vermejo Park Ranch in New Mexico. A detail that may surprise some, however, is that the key goal of the massive purchase wasn’t development, but instead to foster what’s been described as an “ambitious conservation vision” with the land now considered a place where the “seemingly impossible has been achieved.”

Director Benjamin Clark recently tackled the inspiring story of Vermejo with his wife and longtime editor of National Geographic, Mary Anne Potts, in a feature-length documentary called Preserved, with the film set for screening dates in Denver and Boulder this week.

“Shot over more than 130 days, Preserved takes viewers deep into this breathtaking landscape, following the passionate stewards working to restore this thriving, biodiverse ecosystem,” reads a description of documentary. “In an era of wildfires, drought, and species collapse across the American Southwest, Vermejo is living proof that restoration is not only possible – it’s happening. And it’s a blueprint for what comes next.”

The documentary features insights about the project from esteemed conservationists and wildlife ecologists, with experts revealing “how the seemingly impossible has been achieved here, from North America’s largest native trout restoration to the return of beaver, elk, and bison.”

Those in Colorado who are interested in checking out Preserved can see it in Boulder in January 13 at the Gordon Gamm Theater or in Denver on January 14 at The Oriental Theater, with screenings in both locations set to be accompanied by a panel discussion featuring Director Clark and others (find the trailer and tickets here).

It’s possible for members of the public to visit Vermijo, too, provided they’re a guest of Ted Turner Reserves. This luxury getaway company operates four locations in New Mexico with Vermejo being the largest and straddling the Colorado-New Mexico state line. Vermejo is billed as “half a million acres of rewilded solitude,” with accommodations including a 25,000-square-foot stone mansion, a cabin, a fishing lodge, and various cottages.

As noted on the Ted Turner Reserves website, the mission of the company is as follows: “Guided by Ted Turner’s vision of connecting people with nature and our research institute’s charge to tell the world what we’ve learned, we share the transformative power of these wild working landscapes while restoring and safeguarding them for future generations.”

“Ted Turner’s accomplishments are as multifaceted as his enduring legacy: founder of CNN, professional sports team owner, champion sailor, restaurateur, philanthropist, and conservationist—just to name a few,” reads the Ted Turner Reserves website, with the company owning properties that encompass more than one million acres of wild land around New Mexico. “From the Turner Institute of Ecoagriculture and the Turner Foundation to his historic $1 billion gift establishing the United Nations Foundation, he has championed global conservation. Turner wishes to share his love of nature and discovery in the hope that those visiting his properties will develop a deeper appreciation for and awareness of what our Earth has to offer and, just as importantly, a shared responsibility for the well-being of our environment.”

Find a trailer for the Preserved documentary and purchase tickets to a screening here.

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