Getting to Know Us: Chris Oberholster

Chris Oberholster is SGI’s newest addition to our Leadership Team as our Director of Philanthropy. Chris has a BS in Grassland Science from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, which is the equivalent of a Range Science/Management degree here in the U.S. He then earned a Master’s in Agronomy at Auburn University (yes, he really studied cows at a “cow college”!) Chris began a PhD in Ecology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he studied under Dr. Ed Clebsch, but he did not complete those studies as he had an opportunity to return to Alabama to work for The Nature Conservancy as a Community Ecologist at the Alabama Natural Heritage Program. Scroll down to learn more about Chris!

Q: Were you always interested in nature & the outdoors, and how did you get interested in grassland ecosystems?

My love for grasslands developed early in life as I grew up surrounded by the diverse mountain grasslands of eastern South Africa. My interest in grasslands grew out of my childhood interest in birdwatching, followed by a growing interest in identifying the rich flora in the grasslands and forests of the local 2,000 acre Vryheid Hill Nature Preserve, where I would explore with my family and friends. My academic training then built on that early interest.

A photo of rugged, mountainous eastern South African grasslands of Chris’s childhood.

Q: What did you do prior to coming to SGI?

I have been involved in biodiversity conservation in a variety of roles, including plant and habitat surveys, stewardship of lands including prescribed burning, lobbying at the state and federal levels, and fundraising. Most recently I was the Director of External Affairs for The Nature Conservancy in Alabama, where I advocated for conservation policy and funding in the Alabama Legislature and U.S. Congress. Prior to that I was the Development Director for Alabama Audubon.

What is your role within SGI?

As Director of Philanthropy for SGI, my role is to facilitate private funding support for the SGI mission from individuals, foundations and corporations.

What are you most excited about when it comes to working with SGI?

The challenge of securing the financial resources to protect and restore Southern grasslands at the massive scale needed to match the urgency that is necessary.

What are some of your hobbies?

Some are perhaps obvious since they are nature-connected, like birding and growing native plants. I also enjoy deer hunting and making my own biltong, the South African style jerky, and stamp collecting. 

Anything else you want to share with us?

After having experienced some of the formidable challenges facing those who try to conserve the natural world, I want to express my deepest gratitude to all people, whether nonprofit or government agency staff, volunteers, board members, donors, and decisionmakers, who help to protect and restore biodiversity anywhere on the Earth. And a special thanks to my family in the US and across the world for also appreciating nature.

Blog prepared by Dr. Eleanor Lopez, SGI Communications Specialist.

Genus of the Month - Cirsium

Member of the plume thistle genus Cirsium, Cirsium altissimum. Copyright chia CC BY-NC 4.0

 

The Southeastern Grasslands Institute presents Genus of the Month: Cirsium, the plume thistles

The genus Cirsium is a group of important native grassland plants in the larger plant group Asteraceae, or the sunflower family. The Flora of the Southeastern United States lists 20 species of Cirsium you may come across in our region. Of these, 17 are native to the United States, and 3 are non-native and considered invasive.  Because of the feathery structures on their achenes (a type of single-seeded fruit), species in the genus Cirsium are commonly called plume thistles.

Benefits of Cirsium

  • Pollinators - thistles in the genus Cirsium produce nectar that attracts and supports many pollinator species, including bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, and hummingbirds.

  • Wildlife Food Source- Seeds produced by Cirsium species provide food for birds, as well as soft, fluffy material (called pappus) that birds use to line and insulate their nests.

Identifying Characteristics of Cirsium

Please find a key to the genus Cirsium linked here. Below are some defining characteristics of the genus.

  • Composite Flowers - Like other members of the Asteraceae family, what may look like an individual Cirsium flower is actually a complex inflorescence. A single flowering head is made up of numerous small, individual flowers, or florets, and an involucre, which is the cup-like ring of leafy bracts at the base. These bracts, which are also known as phyllaries, are important to pay close attention to when identifying Cirsium species; some have spine-tipped phyllaries, while others are smooth. (Fig 1)

Fig. 1 Cirsium altissimum, tall thistle, with arrows and brackets highlighting morphological characteristics of Cirsium species, including decurrent leaf tissue, flower head, phyllaries, florets, and the involucre.

Selected Native Cirsium Species

  • Cirsium altissimum (tall thistle)

  • Cirsium discolor (field thistle)

  • Cirsium muticum (swamp thistle)

    • Habitat: swamps, wet thickets, woodlands, seepage slopes, wet prairies, meadows

Invasive Cirsium Species in the SGI Focal Area

  • Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle)

    •  Native to Europe

    • Identifiable by leaves with bases that extend down the length of the stem (decurrent leaves), forming a spiny wing

  • Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle)

    • Native to Eurasia

    • Identifiable by creeping rhizomes, which allow it to form large, dense colonies 

    • No spines on the phyllaries 

    • Only perennial Cirsium species in our region (all others are biennial).

Blog by SGI Staff; based on work by Alaina Krakowiack, SGI Central Appalachian Grasslands Coordinator/Ecologist; blog prepared by Dr. Eleanor Lopez, SGI Communications Specialist.

Cumberland Gap “Bog Bioblitz” Finds Rare Plants and Quiets the Mind

Cumberland Gap “Bog Bioblitz” Finds Rare Plants and Quiets the Mind

While botanists have been exploring the Cumberland Gap for decades, some areas remain seldom visited. Martin’s Fork, a boggy tributary to the Cumberland River which originates in the higher elevations of the park, is one such area. During a 2021 survey of the area, SGI’s Southern Appalachian Grasslands Coordinator, Zach Irick, made an exciting discovery: a population of the federally endangered white fringeless orchid (Platanthera integrilabia).

SGI Workshops Help Southeast Landowners Become Better Stewards of the Land

SGI Workshops Help Southeast Landowners Become Better Stewards of the Land

“In the Southeast,” says Zach Irick, SGI’s Southern Appalachian Grasslands Ecologist based in Chattanooga, “most of the natural sites that need to be restored are on private property.” In fact, approximately 90% of the land in this region is owned by private landowners. Essential to our work of protecting these vital ecosystems is informing and collaborating with landowners.

Discovering New Clematis Species through Scientific Gardening

While working as a graduate research assistant with the Center of Excellence for Field Biology and the Southeastern Grasslands Institute at Austin Peay State University (APSU), Thomas Murphy identified four new species of Clematis and one species that had been forgotten about for over a century. He did this through a form of scientific gardening in conjunction with observations of herbarium specimens, field work, and collaborations with Jesse Harris from the University of Colorado - Boulder who provided DNA analysis.

New Directions in the American Landscape and SGI Co-presented a Workshop

On October 12, 2022, Dwayne Estes (SGI Executive Director) joined Larry Weaner (Founder of New Directions in the American Landscape) to co-present a workshop at Bridgestone Firestone Wildlife Management Area in Sparta, Tennessee. The all-day workshop was attended by landscape architects, resource managers, private individuals, and others interested in learning about Southeastern grasslands.

SGI Attends 12th Eastern Native Grassland Symposium

Several members of the SGI team headed to Louisville on October 3-6 to attend the 12th Eastern Native Grassland Symposium. This symposium is held every two years in different parts of the eastern U.S. and brings together people from all walks of life – researchers, land managers, seed growers, private individuals, resource managers, students, and others – who love grasslands.

Getting to Know Us: Dwayne Estes

Dwayne Estes is the Executive Director and co-founder of the Southeastern Grasslands Institute. He is also a Professor of Biology and Principal Investigator with the Center of Excellence for Field Biology at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN where he has mentored more than a dozen graduate students. His enthusiasm and love of Southeastern grasslands, botany, and natural history is infectious as anyone who has had the opportunity to talk with him can attest. Recently we sat down with Dwayne to learn a little more about him and his role at the Southeastern Grasslands Institute.