The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Chris Bridges has joined the staff of The Nature Conservancy as West Tennessee Program Director. He will be based in Sardis, Tennessee, his hometown.

A former Environmental Specialist for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in Jackson, Bridges brings experience in water-quality, stormwater control, conservation planning and forestry. He has a B.S. in Natural Resource Management from the University of Tennessee at Martin and an M.S. in Forestry from Southern Illinois University.

“Chris has already hit the ground running,” said Gina Hancock, associate state director for The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee. “He is well-acquainted with the agencies and people that are key partners in our conservation work. He knows the West Tennessee region well, and he knows its conservation challenges. We’re very pleased to have Chris Bridges on our team.”

Bridges grew up on a family farm in Sardis. “That led to a close connection to the land,” he said. “My previous experience living and working in West Tennessee will help me make connections and work with people from a variety of backgrounds — government agencies, conservation organizations, loggers, farmers.

“I’ll be working with agencies and private landowners to implement conservation practices in support of the restoration of the West Tennessee landscape. More specifically, I’ll be working on reforestation planning, riverbank restoration and wildlife habitat conservation. In addition, I’m available for community groups looking for guidance on conservation issues.”