The SGI Blog
The August 1, 2022 SGI newsletter featured a note about our field botany team discovering a “new” population of the rare Menges’ fameflower (Phemeranthus mengesii) in a rock outcrop grassland remnant in the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee.
That got me thinking about all the cool plants in that genus, and about drought adapted plants of glades and other rock outcrop grasslands in general. And now that we’re in the hottest part of the year, these seemed like good topics for a blog post.
Summer is always a busy time of the year at SGI with many long days in the field. July has been an especially busy month for us with many of our team members being out in the field with limited connectivity. This month’s newsletter includes just a few of the many exciting activities that our team has been working on during July. We’re also excited to announce that we have a new, full time position open and have just begun taking applications.
Laura Hunt is the Volunteer Coordinator for the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative. She joined SGI in 2021. Laura brings an abundance of energy, passion, and enthusiasm to the team. Her educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences from Lipscomb University’s Institute for Sustainable Practices. Recently we sat down with Laura to learn a little more about her and her role at the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative.
On June 18, Artemis Sportswomen, the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, and the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative hosted a field trip to Catoosa Wildlife Management Area for women in conservation. The purpose of the field trip was to learn about the conservation and importance of Tennessee’s vanishing savannas and other grassland ecosystems. It was a perfect day for a field trip. The heat and humidity of the week before had broken and left in its place one of those rare, cool, summer days filled with sunshine and a constant breeze.
Field work, education and outreach, volunteer activities, restoration work, networking, and much more are some of the many activities that SGI has been involved with this month. Read this newsletter to hear about all our exciting news and announcements, find out about upcoming events, and be reminded of our recent blog articles.
Oftentimes, when I introduce myself as the Georgia Grasslands Coordinator, I am met with a puzzled look that is usually followed by the question, “What is a grassland?” I am always glad to share the truth about Georgia’s landscape. Unfortunately, I usually have to use grasslands outside of our area to illustrate what our landscape would have looked like. Outside of the longleaf pine savanna, many of our grasslands have vanished. Today, we can only see glimpses of what used to be, and those glimpses are often found in utility right-of-ways and roadsides.
The Soak Creek Savanna Restoration Project consists of approximately 375 acres that had been clear cut on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. Approximately half of the area was recently burned, while the other half was burned in 2021. This project is being conducted in conjunction with TennGreen Land Conservancy, Panther Creek Forestry (PCF), and Austin Peay State University (APSU).
Reed Noss is the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative’s Chief Science Advisor and the author of the book, Forgotten Grasslands of the South. Reed brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and expertise in a wide variety of areas to the SGI Team. His educational background includes a B.S. in Education with an emphasis in outdoor and environmental education from the University of Dayton, an M.S. in Ecology from the University of Tennessee - Knoxville, and a PhD in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Florida. Recently we sat down with Reed to learn a little more about him and his role at SGI.
May has been an extremely busy and exciting month for us. Our first “annual retreat” in over 2 years, education and outreach, volunteer activities, restoration work, networking, and much more are some of the many activities that SGI has been involved with this month. Read this newsletter to hear about all our exciting news and announcements, be reminded of our recent blog articles, and find out the hot topics being discussed in our Facebook group.
