Brody serves as a Lead Field Technician for SGI. His love of the outdoors started from a young age, and has continued to grow throughout his life. Brody attended Georgia Southern University, acquiring his Bachelor’s degree in Outdoor Recreation Management in 2022. During that same year, he also spent a year in Montana with the AmeriCorps, developing a deeper love and appreciation of the land and that which inhabits it. After this, he returned to the Southeast, working in South Carolina as a Trail Crew Leader with the Palmetto Conservation Foundation. Now in Tennessee, he works with SGI to help restore our native grasslands.

Hailey originally graduated from APSU in 2021 with a B.S. in Biology. It was during her undergraduate where she found a love and passion for ecology and conservation work. Hailey initially worked with aquatic ecosystems and assisted part-time with a professor at APSU. During her last year at APSU, Hailey took a class with Dwayne and learned about SGI and the need for grassland conservation. After graduating, she did a variety of jobs including invasive species management and monitoring. Hailey is excited to be given this opportunity to learn more about grassland conservation and to be given the chance to be a part of the SGI family.

Erin is a Field Technician through SGI located in Roanoke, Virginia. Erin grew up in Minnesota where she participated in a variety of avian research projects in urban settings and forested peatland systems in Northern Minnesota. Erin gained a passion for prairie restoration work during her time at Three Rivers Park District in the twin cities area, and, since 2023, Erin has worked on a variety of habitat management projects for prairie and big woods ecosystems. She is very excited to continue working on grassland restoration and learn more about the unique ecosystems in the Southeast region.

Ryan Stuart serves as a field technician on the National Parks Service Team. He served nine years in the Army before changing careers, obtaining his undergraduate degree in Biology, and his MS in Biology at Austin Peay State University. While at APSU, he investigated the influence of restored grasslands on mesocarnivores such as coyotes and bobcats. Along with restoration efforts, Ryan plays drums for his local church, and also enjoys many outdoor activities such as hiking, hunting, and kayaking.

Jacob serves SGI as a Field Technician based out of Clarksville, Tennessee. Jacob grew up in Marshall County, Tennessee, located within the Nashville Basin, where the farmland, the Duck River, the oak-hickory forests, and the cedar glades inspired in him a love for Tennessee’s land, natural history, native plants, and wildlife. He gained his first experience in habitat restoration while with the Natural Resource team of Murfreesboro Parks & Recreation. He graduated from MTSU with a degree in Plant and Soil Science, and during this time began to assist with prescribed burns, having learned its immense benefit to native habitats. Jacob is deeply grateful for this opportunity to be working towards conserving the incredible grasslands of the Southeast.

Ben is a Field Technician with SGI located in Roanoke, Virginia. Ben grew up in Virginia and received a B.S. in Ecological Restoration from Virginia Tech in 2024. During his undergraduate studies, he developed a love for native plants, ecology, and restoration. Since graduating, Ben has done invasive species monitoring and inventory with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is now starting his journey with SGI. His love for grassland restoration came from learning about various graduate student research projects at Virginia Tech that have big impacts on biodiversity, conservation, and restoration success. He is excited for the opportunity to learn more and make a contribution towards conserving and restoring southeastern grasslands.