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The natural and cultural heritage of the Red Hills of southwest Georgia is intrinsically linked. One of the world’s premier quail hunting destinations, this area features some of the best remaining examples of the longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem and some of the last remaining stands of old-growth longleaf pine forest.
The Conservancy has worked with local landowners in the Red Hills for decades with a shared goal of protecting the unique landscape found there.
Once covering as many as 90 million acres from Virginia to Texas, less than 3 percent of the rapidly disappearing longleaf pine forests exist today. This extremely diverse system is home to imperiled animals such as gopher tortoises, red-cockaded woodpeckers and Bachman’s sparrows. Notable flora includes yellow-fringed orchids and sandhill angelica.
The quail hunting tradition has not only shaped the Red Hills culture but also benefits the area’s forest. Private landowners use land management practices like prescribed fire to maintain quail habitat while allowing these open, sunny woodlands to regenerate.
The dominant tree species, longleaf pine, requires frequent fire to promote healthy growth cycles. In turn, longleaf needles provide critical fuel for fire.
In addition to effective land management, many landowners have opted to work with organizations like the Conservancy and the Tall Timbers Land Conservancy to place conservation easements on thousands of acres across the region, protecting the ecological value of their property.
The Red Hills’ population of red-cockaded woodpeckers, a federally endangered species that requires mature pine to nest, is the largest found on private lands in the Southeast, a testament to effective land management and conservation practices.
Nature picture credits (left to right): Longleaf pines w/ blazing star flowers © Keith Lazelle; gopher tortoise © Brad Winn.
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