Nature Conservancy Hires Amanda Wrona to Oversee Savannah River Project
Columbia, SC—The Nature Conservancy recently hired Amanda Wrona as director of its Savannah River Project, based in Savannah, Ga. An experienced marine biologist, Wrona has extensive knowledge of coastal ecology, having previously worked as a marine biologist with the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve System and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
“The Savannah River, which divides South Carolina and Georgia, is a priority conservation site for The Nature Conservancy,” said Mark Robertson, director of The Nature Conservancy’s South Carolina Chapter. “We are proud to have someone as experienced and knowledgeable about freshwater ecology as Amanda join our team to protect this biologically diverse river system.”
Armed with a master’s degree in zoology from the University of Georgia (UGA) and set to receive her Ph.D. in marine science this spring from UGA, Wrona began her career in Michigan studying freshwater and terrestrial ecology. Having completed her undergraduate work at Adrian College in Michigan and longing for a warmer climate, Wrona moved to Georgia in 1992 and extended her research to marine and estuarine systems, including work in the Altamaha River.
In the role of Savannah River project director, Wrona will be the Conservancy’s chief liaison with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a vital partner to understanding the influence of hydrologic processes (i.e., timing, duration, frequency, magnitude, and rate of change of river flows) on the river’s ecology.
“I have always admired and respected the work of the Conservancy, so I feel very fortunate to join this team of dedicated conservationists,” said Wrona. “The Savannah River Project is an exciting undertaking. I look forward to working with the Army Corps of Engineers and other key partners to achieve a water management plan that meets human needs and the operating purposes of the Corps, while at the same time protecting the ecology of the river system.”
Supporting more than 75 species of rare plants and animals, the Savannah River begins in the Blue Ridge Mountains of north Georgia where the Seneca and Tugaloo rivers meet. Dividing the states of South Carolina and Georgia, the Savannah River crosses three geographically distinct ecoregions – the Blue Ridge, the Piedmont and the Coastal Plain.
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The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, nonprofit organization that preserves plants, animals and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 101 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. In South Carolina working with local communities and partners, more than 209,000 acres have been protected. Visit us on the Web at nature.org/southcarolina.
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