SGI’s Grassland Quarterly for winter 2026 is now live!
New Species of Grasshopper Named for APSU’s Southeastern Grasslands Institute Co-Founder and Chief of Conservation Officer Theo Witsell
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – 1/16/2026
Researchers Jireh Mwamukonda and Jovonn G. Hill have published a paper ‘Revision and Biogeography of the Tribulus Group (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Melanoplinae, Melanoplus) and Establishment of the Rusticus Group with a Description of Four New Species.’ In this paper, the authors discovered a new species of grasshopper that only occurs in the Ouachita Mountains – an area that APSU’s Southeastern Grasslands Institute Co-Founder and Chief Conservation Officer Theo Witsell was instrumental in protecting. We are pleased to announce that one of the new species of grasshoppers in this paper was given the new scientific name Melanoplus witselli in recognition of Theo’s work to conserve its range in the Ouachita Mountains. When asked about the naming decision, author Dr. Jovonn Hill of the Mississippi Entomological Museum said, “Theo is just a good dude…No, really, naming a species that is a near endemic to Arkansas after Theo was a no-brainer. He has contributed so much to conservation in the state and the region. Furthermore, setting the type locality as a place where he had a large part in conserving and studying was extra special.”
We agree with Dr. Hill that Theo is incredibly deserving of this recognition, and we invite you to take a look at the publication on this exciting new species discovery! https://bioone.org/journals/transactions-of-the-american-entomological-society/volume-151/issue-3/061.151.0306/Revision-and-Biogeography-of-the-Tribulus-Group-Orthoptera-Acrididae-Melanoplinae/10.3157/061.151.0306.short
Blog prepared by Eleanor Lopez, SGI Communications Specialist.
The Grassland Quarterly - SGI's Fall 2025 Newsletter
The Southeastern Grasslands Institute is pleased to share our revamped quarterly newsletter - The Grassland Quarterly. Please click the link below to view our Fall 2025 Newsletter. We hope you enjoy our updates and our exciting work to protect and promote biodiversity across the Southeast.
The Grassland Quarterly - Saving the Forgotten Grasslands of the Southeast - Fall 2025 Newsletter
Blog prepared by Eleanor Lopez, SGI Communications Specialist.
SGI Announces NRCS Grant Partnership to Promote Working Lands for Wildlife
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Southeastern Grasslands Institute of Austin Peay State University is partnering with the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to promote the Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) Northern Bobwhite, Grasslands, and Savannas Framework for Conservation Action. The collaborative effort will support SGI’s Tribal Staff in their efforts to engage tribal landowners and offer technical and financial assistance to access training, mentorship, and skills development available in the Farm Bill that align with their interests and priorities. SGI will work to boost messaging and marketing of grassland and savanna restoration efforts, while supporting the WLFW Framework. The partnership will work towards the development of more accurate regional grassland maps of the eastern region to help prioritize sensitive and critical ecosystems and support Northern Bobwhite habitat.
The project will result in greater awareness of grassland conservation efforts, resources, and tribal participation in restoration efforts. We are grateful to our partners at Quail Forever, and NRCS for their technical assistance and support. Stay tuned for more updates on our work moving forward.
Blog prepared by Eleanor Lopez, SGI Communications Specialist. For more information, please email Eleanor at eleanor.lopez@segrasslands.org.
Austin Peay’s SGI staff featured in Emmy Award-winning documentary “The Prairie Preacher”
The Southeastern Grasslands Institute is thrilled to congratulate our friends at PBS Appalachia on their Emmy Win for Best Documentary for “The Prairie Preacher”. The documentary features two SGI staff: Dr. Dwayne Estes, SGI Co-Founder and Executive Director, and Alaina Krakowiak, SGI’s Central Appalachian Grasslands Coordinator/Ecologist. The documentary is available on YouTube here.
Read the full APSU press release here.
Blog prepared by Eleanor Lopez, SGI Communications Specialist.
APSU’s Southeastern Grasslands Institute Preserves Rare Ecological Community
Spanning across the border of Kentucky and Tennessee, near the small town of Guthrie, KY, is a globally rare type of prairie community. Now, thanks to a generous donation by Robert and Deborah Hulse to the Southeastern Grasslands Institute (SGI), this place will be permanently protected for future generations…
APSU and SGI Celebrating 5 Years of Saving Southeastern Grasslands
New Species of Beaksedge Described by APSU Alumna and the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative
SGI Helps Host Field Trip to Inspire Conservation Advocacy in Tennessee
Austin Peay’s Southeastern Grasslands Initiative Joins National Plant Conservation Network
APSU GIS Center Joins the Southeastern Grasslands Institute to Examine Land Grant Data from the Revolutionary War
What did Clarksville – or even the entire Middle Tennessee region – look like in the late 18th century, shortly after the American Revolution? At Austin Peay State University, the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative (SGI) has spent years exploring this question in its effort conserve and restore the south’s original native grasslands…
Science on Tap to examine Southeastern Grasslands Institute’s ‘New Course for Conservation’
SGI Volunteers and Partners Helping to Make a Rare Plant More Common
BAND Foundation surpasses $800,000 in giving to APSU Southeastern Grasslands Initiative
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The BAND Foundation of Washington, D.C., has continued its commitment to Austin Peay State University through a recent gift to the APSU Foundation to benefit the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative (SGI). This contribution brings the organization’s total giving amount to date to more than $800,000.
Dr. Dwayne Estes leads a grassland tour.
Seed Bank Sprouts at SGI's APSU Headquarters
SGI, based at Austin Peay State University and part of the Center of Excellence for Field Biology, is in the early stages of developing a seedbank to serve the broader Mid-South region, especially for grassland species.
New Videos Released on the History and Future of Prairies in the Piedmont – Important to People, Pollinators, and Wildlife
On Feb 6, 2020, the Piedmont Prairie Partnership, a group of non-profit, state, and federal agencies, released two new videos documenting the history of Piedmont Prairies and work being done in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia to bring them back. Historically, much of the Piedmont was covered by prairies – some with scattered trees and some without.
The Southeastern Grasslands Initiative and Quail Forever sign MOU to further landscape conservation of native grasslands in the Southeast
The Southeastern Grasslands Initiative and Quail Forever officially signed a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding December 6, 2019, outlining the scope of a relationship that was initiated in 2018 and has already borne fruit: the Farm Bill team for the Resource Conservation Partnership Project (RCPP), which is supervised and based out of SGI headquarters on the APSU campus, are staff members of QF!
Texas Hub of SGI to be established at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
The Austin Peay State University Southeastern Grasslands Initiative and The University of Texas at Austin Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center will advance their missions of landscape conservation and ecological restoration through a partnership formalized last week.