History

Our Philosophy

Maggie Bryant, Tara’s Founder, was a past-two-term Chairperson of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and retired from her board position in 2001.

Maggie was awarded the prestigious Chevron Conservation Award as well as the Governor’s Award for Conservation in Mississippi. She was active in conservation measures around the world.

Tara’s philosophy is founded on a strong commitment to the management, development, and sustainable use of a broad spectrum of natural resources. Tara recognizes the importance of wildlife, timber, water, wetlands, agriculture and recreation in maintaining a high quality of life for current as well as future generations.

To this end, Tara has endowed the future by placing all 7,000 acres under conservation easements. As a further commitment to conservation, in December of 2001 Tara was deeded to a private foundation, Purvis Grange Foundation Inc. While promoting an appreciation of the environment through educational and direct-performance activities that conserve land and protect the wildlife that inhabit it, Tara is a model center for the study of habitat and the animals that are part of the ecosystem.

Mississippi River Conservation

The mighty Mississippi River is just outside of Tara’s doorstep. The River is wild, it’s massive, and it’s awe-inspiring to sit with amazement and watch as the muddy water of our Grand River flows along.

Maggie Bryant, Tara’s Founder, was instrumental in the funding and support of Mississippi River conservation issues including grants to Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee, a non-profit consortium of state and federal agencies dedicated to the improvement of the lower river.

• The Mississippi River is our nation’s largest river and is the third longest in the world. It flows nearly 2,400 miles from Lake Itasca in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River drains 33 states and two Canadian provinces.
• 241 species of fish, 50 mammal species, 37 species of mussels, and 45 amphibian species are found within the Mississippi River system.
• Nearly 40 percent of North America’s waterfowl and 60 percent of all bird species in the United States migrate along the Mississippi River.Barge on the Mississippi River
• Historically, the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley encompassed approximately 25 million acres of seasonally flooded wetland habitat. Today, less than 2.5 million acres remain.
• Recreational use and tourism associated with the Mississippi River account for more than $10 billion in annual revenues.
• 12 million people live along the mainstream of the Mississippi River and generate more than $7 billion in agricultural and forest products and $429 billion in manufactured goods.
• Each year, 505 million tons or $80-$114 Billion dollars of commerce flows down the Mississippi River.

Facts from Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee (LMRCC). For more info contact LMRCC at 601-629-6602 or online through http://www. lmrcc.org

About Tara

Tara is located in the Eagle Lake community about 30 minutes northwest of historic Vicksburg, Mississippi and 72 miles west of Jackson.

With 6 miles of Mississippi River frontage and 6,500 acres of oxbow lakes and bottomland hardwood forests, Tara is one the nation’s ultimate destinations for deer and turkey hunting.

The 5700-square-foot conference center is the perfect location for your corporate retreats, business meetings, team-building seminars, family reunions, or conservation workshops

Tara’s commitment to the sustainable use and management of natural resources is our primary focus.

Our Summer Youth Camps educate children in outdoor skills, with a strong emphasis on safety and ethical behavior, along with the development of a greater appreciation of our natural resources.

We invite all hunters, companies, families and youth to visit and experience this unique place we call Tara!

Mission

The mission of Purvis Grange Foundation, Inc. dba Tara Wildlife is to manage its natural resources in an ecologically and economically sustainable manner while promoting conservation awareness and the wise use of those natural resources within a framework of both consumptive and non-consumptive opportunities.

Conservation

Through its partnerships with numerous conservation groups, Tara is active in black bear restoration, management of Neotropical bird habitat, protection of nesting bald eagles, Mississippi River ecosystem issues, wildlife and wetlands habitat management and the preservation and restoration of bottomland hardwood resources.

Conservation Partners

We are pleased to partner with the following organizations to promote conservation and wildlife habitat.

• Audubon Mississippi
• Ducks Unlimited
• US Fish and Wildlife
• US Army Corp of Engineers
• Mississippi Lower Delta Partnership
• Wildlife Mississippi
• Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks
• Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
• Mississippi Wildlife Federation