Virginia

Staff Experts

STruslow_193x290TNC's Sam Truslow connecting with nature. © TNC
Sam Truslow

Land Steward

Charlottesville, VA

Brief Biography

Sam Truslow knew he wanted to work in the conservation field after studying environmental and biological conservation at the University of Virginia. After graduation, he left Virginia for the mountains of North Carolina where he worked as a research assistant studying salamanders in the headwater streams of the Nantahala National Forest. He returned to Virginia in 2007 to work as a protection coordinator for The Nature Conservancy, later transitioning into the role of land steward, where he has been hard at work ever since.

A Place Sam Loves

“I grew up camping and trout fishing in the Rapidan Wildlife Management Area, near the Shenandoah National Park. That’s where I made my earliest connections with nature. I have some great memories from that part of the world.”

Sam on Why His Work is Rewarding

“I like taking the big picture conservation strategies developed by the Conservancy’s leadership and translating them into on-the-ground projects. It’s particularly rewarding for me to do this in Virginia. I have a deep connection with the state’s natural landscape and enjoy the hands-on, action-oriented work of land management.”

Program Benefits
  • Managing public access on designated preserves with the help of volunteers
  • Using tools such as prescribed fire and weed management on the Conservancy’s properties and properties owned by conservation-minded landowners in order to restore the landscape and return it to a more natural state
  • Serving as a liaison to landowners and neighbors located near the 60,000 acres owned by the Conservancy in Virginia
Hopes for the Next 3-5 Years

Sam hopes to increase the public’s access and enjoyment of The Nature Conservancy’s Virginia preserves. “Connecting people with nature leads them to think about and support the environment in their everyday decisions.”

Partners
  • Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
  • United States Forest Service
  • United States Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Private landowners
  • Local community members
  • Volunteers
Credentials
  • B.A. in Environmental Science with a Specialization in Environmental and Biological Conservation from the University of Virginia

 

Sam Truslow

Land Steward

Read Sam Truslow's Full Biography

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