High Hope Ranch and Fossil Rim Wildlife Center are neighboring eco-destinations that share lineage and a passionate, intertwined commitment to land conservation and nature’s significance to our health and well-being. Their ecotourism and agritourism options provide a multitude of opportunities for guests to engage with nature on all levels.

High Hope is an outgrowth of Fossil Rim. Krystyna Jurzykowski and her late husband, Jim Jackson, moved to Texas in 1988 and got involved with Fossil Rim Wildlife Ranch, today known as Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. The conservation was founded by Fort Worth businessman Tom Mantzel.

Jurzykowski and Jackson went on to manage and operate Fossil Rim. At their helm, the organization made great strides in conservation and wildlife management. In 2008, Jurzykowski and Jackson passed Fossil Rim onto the nonprofit of the same name, with covenants to protect the land in perpetuity.

The ranch grew organically as a response to the human and natural world, notes Jurzykowski. “Texas is the fastest-growing state in the country in terms of development. The counterpoint is that it’s experiencing the greatest loss of working land ranches, farms and raw land that protects forests and grasslands—all of which are the resources for growing our food.”

Noting that many humans today experience “nature deficit disorder”, Jurzykowski emphasizes that High Hope helps people reestablish a connection with nature. Visitors come for individual or guided hikes, an outdoor labyrinth, yoga or the annual Harvest Festival, or stay overnight in one of four guests houses available for groups, families and individuals that offer serene, picturesque views of forested hillsides. High Hope also hosts retreats and events such as family reunions and weddings.

High Hope maintains a biodynamic farm with agritourism opportunities for guests to experience the cyclical relationships between people and land. The farm hosts pasture-raised chickens, Kune Kune breed pigs, and Boer and Nigerian dwarf goats not only for meat and milk, but also for their role in invasive species management. They grow cut flowers, herbs and produce for their onsite farm store, where guests can purchase eggs, meat, pickles and salsa. They also sell through The Farmacy Co-Op, in Glen Rose.

Jurzykowski says they are pursuing Demeter Biodynamic Certification for their edible and herbal products. In 2022, High Hope became part of the Living Lands Trust, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit fostering regenerative land stewardship throughout the U.S.

Guests can book garden and farm tours to learn how biodynamic farming principles improve land, soil and animal health. While definitions of biodynamic farming are complex, the overall belief is that all components of the farm—fields, forests, plants, soil, animals and people—comprise an integrated, self-sustaining, living organism. Biodynamic farming also combines spiritual and astrological components such as planting and harvesting with the sun and moon cycles, and embedding manure-stuffed horns to energize the soil.

High Hope managers Brandi and Robert Young explain that they make their own biodynamic compost, bury horn manure, plant cover crops to nourish the soil, maintain water sources onsite, and refrain from using pesticides and herbicides.

Guests have the opportunity meet and feed goats and piglets. “The grand finale is when our dozen piglets come scampering all at once toward the kids,” Robert enthuses. “They love it, and the whole family gets to learn about the benefits of biodynamically raised animals.”

A firm believer in the “You are what you eat” philosophy, Brandi says, “By keeping animals healthy and happy, visitors see and feel it. When they arrive at High Hope, they can stop at the farm store to buy these products made onsite. The farm offers an intimate, interactive experience that helps connect people to the land.”

Educational Ecotourism

Many High Hope visitors take advantage of the ecotourism opportunities at neighboring Fossil Rim. Chief Marketing Officer Warren Lewis explains there are several levels of ecotourism involvement. The safari experience lets guests drive their cars through the self-guided Godsin Scenic Wildlife Drive—1,000 acres of diverse terrain with more than 50 different critically endangered species, including giraffes, zebras, scimitar-horned oryx, southern black and southern white rhinos, white-tailed deer and Texas tortoises.

“Visitors receive a species identification guide that illustrates all the different animals we have here on the property,” Lewis says. “We also have an app that allows you to point your phone at an animal. The app will identify it and give you information.”

Fossil Rim’s guided experiences take visitors out in a van. This rolling classroom allows the driver to share information about their conservation programs with visitors. Guests can ask questions, interact and learn more about Fossil Rim’s conservation and wildlife reintroduction efforts. They can further their experience by staying at the recently renovated onsite lodge, which has four suites, and enjoy access to exclusively guided tours.

The environmental engagement programs allow groups to reserve a specific day and learn more about certain aspects of conservation and sustainability. Lewis notes that programs can be designed according to each group’s needs and can last all day or a half-day in a hybrid classroom/outdoor setting.

The option of safari tours or hand-feeding certain animals such as giraffes allows Fossil Rim staff to interact with visitors and take them into deeper conversations about endangered species. Visitors learn about Fossil Rim’s successful reintroduction work of species such as the scimitar-horned oryx, the Attwater’s prairie chicken and the Mexican gray wolf.

Lewis emphasizes that a large component of Fossil Rim’s mission is land management. Their guides and educators have degrees in biology or wildlife management. They partner with Tarleton State University to offer internships for students to assist with soil and land research.

In December 2023, Fossil Rim welcomed one of their newest additions, a baby southern white rhino named Rocket. “All of our species have a lot of babies each year,” Lewis affirms. “We raise animals in open, natural spaces to help them retain their inherent social dynamic in preparation for reintroduction to into the wild.” Fossil Rim is currently building a new species facility for the Texas Horned lizard to be completed this spring.

With like-minded missions, Fossil Rim and High Hope partner to protect their lands and watersheds. They also share resources and programming. The farm at High Hope uses rhino compost from Fossil Rim to add organic input and improve soil balance. For more than 10 years, High Hope has hosted High Adventure Treks for Dads and Daughters, and separately High Adventure Treks for Dad and Sons, a program Lewis had been involved in for fathers and their children to dedicate a weekend together to solve problems and communicate in natural settings.

Jurzykowski says, “High Hope and Fossil Rim are model examples of how land-based enterprises ultimately support nature and human beings, and develop awareness and individual responsibility as a human collective to our respective influence on Earth.”

High Hope Ranch is located at 3353 County Rd. 2009, in Glen Rose, (HighHope.eco); Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is located at 2299 County Rd. 2008, in Glen Rose, (FossilRim.org).