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Places We Protect

Smiley Meadow Preserve

Texas

Bright green grass dotted with purple and yellow flowers.
In Bloom Wildflowers at Smiley Meadow Preserve in Northeast Texas. © Sean Fitzgerald

Smiley Meadow protects a rare type of tallgrass prairie found only in Texas.

Overview

Description

Just west of Paris, Texas lies an expanse of native grassland, where a rare type of prairie found only in the Lone Star State still exists. Behind a carved historical marker, a colorful tapestry of wildflowers bloom, rustling grasses ripple in the wind and birdsongs fill the air. Once slated for development, nearly 1,000 acres of the Smiley Meadow have been protected thanks to persistence and partnership.

Today, The Nature Conservancy's (TNC) Smiley Meadow Preserve is one of many critical native prairie remnants we manage in North Texas. The preserve includes 953 acres of Silveus' dropseed prairie donated by renewable energy company Ørsted and 100 acres that TNC has owned and managed since 1972, formerly known as Tridens Prairie Preserve. Together, these protected lands contain over 300 species of grasses and wildflowers.

Access

CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC

Location

Paris, Texas

Map with marker: The preserve is home to rare native prairie.

Highlights

Wildflowers, native prairie, grassland birds, pollinators

Size

1,050 acres

Explore our work in Texas

A yellow and white bird sits on tall green grass with purple flowers.
RARE PRAIRIE Smiley Meadow protects some of the best remaining remnants of Silveus' dropseed prairie. © Sean Fitzgerald

Why This Place Matters

Prairies are some of the hardest-working landscapes in the world. They absorb and filter water, sequester carbon and support pollinators and biodiversity. But prairies are also some of the most endangered habitats in the nation, with less than 5% of native tallgrass prairie remaining across the Central U.S. In Texas, 1% or less of many prairie types exists today, and what little is left is disappearing rapidly. High-quality remnant grasslands are crowded with many species of native birds, insects, grasses and wildflowers, making their preservation vital.

TNC first identified Smiley Meadow as a high conservation priority in the 1980s. We long hoped to see the prairie preserved due to its unique biological value and its proximity to Tridens Prairie Preserve, a smaller remnant owned by TNC. But in 2021, the prairie and surrounding land were leased by Ørsted with plans to convert the area into a solar farm. When TNC learned that this large-scale development included the Smiley Meadow, we approached Ørsted to open a dialogue about the ecological significance of the land. We made Ørsted aware that the property was the largest remaining example of a rare type of tallgrass prairie endemic to Texas, with an irreplaceable variety of life.

Photos from Smiley Meadow Preserve

Discover the diverse plant life and wildlife at this Silveus' dropseed prairie remnant.

Green grass dotted with yellow and purple flowers.
Tall, fuzzy purple flowers grow high above green grass.
Two birds sit atop tall purple flowers.
A field of yellow flowers.
A man in a hat stands in a field of tall green grass and purple flowers.
A historical marker made of stone in a field of grass.
A brown and white dragonfly sits atop a browning flower.
A bee flies towards a long, fuzzy purple plant.
A brown and grey bird soars over brown prairie grass.
A green field dotted with yellow and purple flower blooms.
Green grass dotted with yellow and purple flowers.

LOST LANDSCAPE: Less than 5% of original tallgrass prairies now remain in the Central U.S. © Sean Fitzgerald

Tall, fuzzy purple flowers grow high above green grass.

BLAZING PRAIRIE: Dense blazing star plants bloom above prairie grass. © Sean Fitzgerald

Two birds sit atop tall purple flowers.

BIRDS AND BLOOMS: The property is the largest protected example of unplowed tallgrass prairie in eastern Texas. This grassland habitat supports hundreds of animal species. © Sean Fitzgerald

A field of yellow flowers.

COLORFUL BLOOMS: A variety of wildflowers can be found at the preserve. © Sean Fitzgerald

A man in a hat stands in a field of tall green grass and purple flowers.

PROTECTING PRAIRIE: TNC Texas Land Protection Strategy Program Director David Bezanson worked for years to see Smiley Meadow protected for good. © Sean Fitzgerald

A historical marker made of stone in a field of grass.

ROOTED IN HISTORY: The prairie is named after M.L. Smiley, a native of Lamar County who purchased the meadow beginning in 1899 and used it for cattle grazing and hay production. © Sean Fitzgerald

A brown and white dragonfly sits atop a browning flower.

PROMOTING PRESERVATION: Mr. Smiley promoted the high quality of native hay, which resulted in other local landowners managing native prairie rather than plowing and cultivating their land. © Sean Fitzgerald

A bee flies towards a long, fuzzy purple plant.

PRAIRIE POLLINATORS: Over 300 species of plants occur on the preserve, supporting critical pollinators. © Sean Fitzgerald.

A brown and grey bird soars over brown prairie grass.

ON THE FLY: Grassland birds depend on prairies for food, shelter and nesting. © Sean Fitzgerald

A green field dotted with yellow and purple flower blooms.

BY ANY OTHER NAME: Silveus’ dropseed was referred to as “wiregrass” by original farmers. © Sean Fitzgerald

Purple pom-pom-like flowers and long fuzzy purple flowers in a field of green grass.
NATIVE GRASSES Silveus' dropseed prairie is found only in the north and east edges of the Blackland Prairie region in North Texas. © Sean Fitzgerald

What TNC Is Doing

For several years, we had thoughtful discussions about ways to safeguard the prairie’s conservation value while balancing Ørsted’s development plans and goals. In 2024, these conversations yielded wins for both people and nature when Ørsted purchased 953 acres of the Smiley Meadow and donated it to TNC. The Texas Chapter now owns and manages this acreage as a preserve. We also plan to use it as a seed source for restoring additional prairie sites in the area, including on solar project lands.

Smiley Meadow would likely have been entirely developed without these conversations about the prairie’s value and the willingness of parties on all sides to listen and learn. Instead, the donation will be the largest preservation effort for this type of native prairie to date. Together TNC and Ørsted have conserved an invaluable landscape in one of the fastest-growing areas in the nation, ensuring its protection for generations to come.

Resources

  • Smiley Meadow Preserve is closed to the public. Visitation is limited to volunteer workdays and various special events throughout the calendar year. For more information, contact North Texas Preserves Manager Brandon Belcher (Brandon.Belcher@TNC.ORG).

  • View a map of Smiley Meadow Preserve.

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