Both a retreat center for artists in residence and also space for ecological research and conservation, Ucross has long been a home for artistic and scientific experimentation. The Ranch, founded by businessman Raymond Plank ’44, has hosted nearly 1300 visual artists, writers, and composers since 1981. It is also the site of extensive scientific research by wildlife biologists, soil scientists, hydrologists, and cartographers — including a growing number of researchers from F&ES — working to make Ucross a model of land stewardship for the 21st century.