A Day in the Field at Georgia's Coosa Valley Prairie
By Tami Willadsen

Tami Willadsen  © Sam Breyfogle

I may be a fundraiser by trade, but a recent work day with our science and stewardship staff confirmed I’m a conservationist at heart. 

One day in July, I volunteered to help with The Nature Conservancy’s yearly plant monitoring at the Coosa Valley Prairie in Floyd County, Ga., as part of an ongoing effort for me to get a better understanding of the science behind our work.

The property owner, Temple-Inland, donated a 929-acre conservation easement to The Nature Conservancy on this site in 2002 to ensure the long term protection of what is considered to be the most ecologically significant portion of the Coosa Valley Prairies. 

Before we secured this easement, I never knew such landscapes even existed in Georgia.  Straddling the Alabama-Georgia border just west of Rome, Ga., the prairie had the same rolling, grassy look of the prairies typically found in places of Kansas or Nebraska.

Conservation in Action
Our goal was to monitor changes in vegetation through time on select prairies. We divided into two-person teams along two transect lines from established starting points to ensure we were measuring the same test plots measured during four previous summers. In our test squares, we measured for pines, woody and herbaceous plant cover, leaf and pine litter, lichen and moss cover.

We also conducted a plant-by-plant count of six indicator species: the federally endangered Mohr’s Barbara-buttons, whorled sunflower, prairie dock, prairie purple coneflower, side-oats grama, and smooth blue aster. These plants are unique to this landscape and good healthy populations indicate a healthy habitat.  We are doing this detailed work to gauge whether our prescribed burning and other forest management activities are improving conditions in this very special place.

Taking shelter during a typical mid-afternoon thunderstorm, I got to talking with my teammate, Sam Breyfogel, a Temple-Inland forester for more than 20 years. A true expert in his field, Sam also has a genuine love of the land. Other members of the team told me that Sam played a large role in Temple-Inland’s recognition of the Coosa Valley Prairies’ incredible ecological value and its donation of the conservation easement. And Sam had just as many positive things to say about The Nature Conservancy. 

In my fundraising work, I use phrases like “science based” and “collaborative” all of the time.  Spending the day in the field and witnessing this symbiotic partnership between The Nature Conservancy and Temple-Inland first hand, I better recognize these values in action.  I also saw just how hard our science and stewardship staff work and gained a better appreciation for how the money I raise is turned into conservation action. 

After a long, brutally hot day in the field, I was humbled by the dedication of our science staff, grateful for the true alliance we share with our partner organizations, and better educated about the science behind our work.  Walking back to the truck at the end of the day, I couldn’t help but think, “I’m in this for life.”

Best wishes,
Tami Willadsen
Associate Director of Philanthropy
The Nature Conservancy in Georgia

If you enjoyed this, read past Postcards From the Field:

June 2006
Former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Pierre Howard relates his encounter with the beautiful West Virginia white butterfly in north Georgia. An avid birder and an outdoor enthusiast, Pierre is the past chairman of The Nature Conservancy in Georgia's Board of Trustees.