Alaina serves as the Central Appalachian Grasslands Coordinator based in Roanoke, Virginia. Alaina works with a variety of partners to study, restore, and advocate for the conservation of grasslands throughout her region. Alaina initially fell in love with grasslands while conducting a floristic inventory of a remnant site near Chattanooga, Tennessee. She studied the conservation genetics of an endangered species from this site (Clematis fremontii) as a graduate student in Colorado, where she spent her summers working as a field botanist with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program. Alaina is happy to be back home in the Southeast, and is excited to get to work on protecting the landscapes she loves.

Email: alaina.krakowiak@segrasslands.org

Hope Wilson serves as the Interior Plateau coordinating restoration ecologist, based in Clarksville, Tennessee. She works with a variety of landowners to preserve, restore, research, and recreate grassland ecosystems on private, public, and corporate land. Hope’s love for grasslands began as a child in the GSMNP exploring Cades Cove and was nurtured as a fisheries and wildlife management student at the University of Tennessee. She is excited to bring her passion and background in restoration to the SGI team and is looking forward to being a part of the effort to restore grassland ecosystems throughout her region.

Email: hope.wilson@segrasslands.org

Jordan serves as the Mid-Atlantic Grasslands Coordinator and is based in Roanoke, Virginia. He works to conserve and restore grasslands on private and public lands across the Mid-Atlantic alongside a variety of landowners and partner organizations. Jordan completed his dissertation on the floristics, conservation, and restoration of Virginia’s native grasslands at Virginia Tech as a research fellow with the Smithsonian’s Virginia Working Landscapes program. He is excited to continue his work protecting the native grasslands of the Southeast alongside the SGI team.

Email: jordan.coscia@segrasslands.org

Zach serves as the Southern Appalachian Grasslands Ecologist based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Zach works with a variety of partners to accomplish on the ground research and restoration activities of rare plant species and plant communities across the Southern Appalachian region.

Email: zach.irick@segrasslands.org