Terry Cook
Ecologist, Tennessee
Brentwood, TN
Terry Cook Terry Cook is The Nature Conservancy's Tennessee state director. © Courtesy/Terry Cook
Areas of Expertise
conservation leadership, aquatic ecology, urban conservation, global environmental sustainability
Biography
In 2023, Terry Cook stepped down from his role as The Nature Conservancy's state director in Tennessee to pursue special projects and spend more time with family. During his tenure as state director, he supervised a staff of more than twenty professionals working around the state to protect and enhance the health of Tennessee's forests, waters, caves and cities for the benefit of people and nature.
Before moving to Tennessee, Terry worked in various capacities—over several decades—as director of science in Texas and Washington, director of the Mid-Atlantic Science Center, an eastern regional scientist and as the state director in Kentucky. Terry has been a John Sawhill Fellow, a TNC's Global Science Leadership Team member and served on its Africa Council.
Terry holds a B.S. in Environmental Studies from Ferrum College and an M.S. in Range Ecology from Texas A&M University. He is based in Brentwood, where he lives with his wife, Laura Cook, and their children, Elizabeth and Cody.
PARTING WORDS
(December 2022)
It is with gratitude that I share with you that I will step down from my role as The Nature Conservancy’s Tennessee state director at the beginning of 2023. In doing so, I want to thank our staff in Tennessee for their support and friendship since I came on board in early 2016. They are an example of how a small group of dedicated individuals really can help change the world.
In addition, I am grateful for the Tennessee Board of Trustees, who have volunteered their time, talent and resources in pursuit of TNC’s mission. Lastly, I am indebted to the many members and partners who every day are champions for a healthy planet and provide inspiration for the work I have been privileged to do during my tenure.
My journey with TNC began in the mid-1980s as a graduate student working on barrier islands off the coast of Virginia. That early introduction led to me joining TNC in 1992 as the Hill Country Bioreserve Ecologist in the Texas Chapter. Over the years, I have been fortunate to see the TNC’s evolution from protecting the Last Great Places to helping solve some of the world’s biggest environmental challenges for people and nature.
What’s next for me? I am enthusiastic about our conservation work here in Tennessee and I look forward to continuing to support and advance several special projects in the new year. In the meantime . . .
See you outside.
FOCUS ON THE APPALACHIANS
(December 2021)
Our work really matters, not only here in Tennessee, but on a global scale.
In pursuit of the dual goals of slowing the pace of climate change and protecting 30 percent of the planet’s biodiversity by 2030, The Nature Conservancy named four regions as global priorities for conservation: Borneo, the Amazon, Kenya and...the Appalachian Mountains. Covering approximately 2,000 miles—from Alabama to Canada—the Appalachians boast a variety of species and a level of resiliency that make it one of the most globally important landscapes for pursuing our mission. They also serve as home to 22 million people who rely on this landscape’s natural resources for food, clean water and air, and economic stability.
Conserving the Appalachians requires coordinating across 18 states and an international border. We are off to a good start with TNC’s 2019 Cumberland Forest Project, encompassing 253,000 acres situated in Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia. These forests store millions of tons of carbon, potentially more if we manage them sustainably, and represent one of North America’s most important routes for plants and animals shifting their ranges in response to the changing climate.
As part of this project, we are also piloting creative new approaches to improving the landscape’s ecological health and resilience that might be duplicated elsewhere in the Appalachians. This includes developing solar energy at former coalfields, marketing sustainably sourced lumber, leasing lands for outdoor recreation and enrolling forests in the emerging carbon marketplace. Through the Cumberland Forest Community Fund, we are also investing in local projects that support nature-based economic and community development in five Tennessee counties.
It is important work. And thanks to you, TNC hits the ground running with natural climate solutions that safeguard wildlife habitat and store carbon in the Appalachians and across the globe.
See you outside.
A GREENER NEW YEAR
(January 2021)
My family doesn't make a lot of New Years resolutions. But each year, we try to build on ways of living a little lighter on the land.
For example, over the years we started growing some of our own food, in many cases starting from seed. That has led to learning more about germination as we now harvest seeds directly from the plants in our garden in preparation for the next growing season.
Outside of the garden, we are slowly-but-surely replacing our grassy lawn with native landscaping that is better at standing up to weather and pests, and is more welcoming to wildlife. Bluebird, bat and owl boxes also add diversity to our yard.
And we stopped bagging our leaves. Rather, we rake them back into our garden and flower beds to serve as mulch during winter.
Recycling is also important in our household. We made a lot of progress on this goal thanks to more time at home during the pandemic. I am most excited about finding a company in Nashville that recycles Styrofoam. And in the spirit of “one person’s trash is another’s treasure,” we are donating or selling (online) things that we no longer need.
With less stuff in the house, we are being mindful of new purchases, taking the greenest route whenever possible. A couple of years ago, we bought an electric car. Our Nissan Leaf gets about 70 or 80 miles per charge, plenty of fuel for my daily ten-mile commute.
So what’s in store for the Cook family in 2021? We are replacing our 15-year-old water heater with a more efficient tankless version. We also plan to do an energy audit to find ways both small and large to reduce our carbon footprint. And we will reduce our support for products that rely on single use plastics.
Every conservation step you take is important and is part of a journey we all need to be on. Don’t overlook the small steps and don’t be intimidated by the larger ones. Join me in making 2021 a greener year than the last.
See you outside.
SPEAK UP FOR NATURE
(November 2020)
In a time of stress, nature soothes. Simple pleasures like growing food in healthy soils, hiking through a field of wildflowers or witnessing a seasonal bird migration provides a welcome break from the intense and unending news cycle.
In a period of distancing, nature brings us together. Hiking with family and friends, gathering in a park, or setting out to explore a lake or creek on kayaks represent just a few of the ways many are socializing in safe and respectful ways.
When we feel vulnerable, nature shows us resilience. Trees lose, and regain, their leaves. Birds return to our feeders each spring. Horseshoe crabs make the same journey to our shores as they have for millions of years.
Our mission has never been more important—for people and for nature—than it is today. If you have found solace in nature during 2020, I hope you will continue to do so in the months to come.
I also hope that you will continue to support nature in any way that you can, whether by donating towards our mission, gifting a membership, or actively speaking out on behalf of the health of the planet we all share.
Nature needs your voice, now, more than ever. Thank you for remaining steadfast, and resilient, during this time.
See you outside.
EARTH DAY REFLECTIONS
(April 2020)
As we emerge from springtime—a time of growth and renewal—we continue to grapple with a health crisis that has brought the world to a stand-still. As we continue to adjust and implement social distancing practices, more people than ever are seeking nature to alleviate stress and safely move around.
During this time, most of us are giving up something we were planning to do, at least temporarily. For our staff in Tennessee, it was celebrating a big milestone—the successful protection of 400,000 acres since TNC opened its doors here in 1978. It is a wonderful testament to the generous support and leadership of so many.
It is easy to become frustrated by this unexpected pandemic that has paralyzed our planet. However, I mostly feel grateful—for my family, my home, good friends and for a career dedicated to protecting something that is so important to humankind.
While difficult, this historic event also shed a positive light on humanity. We’ve witnessed how the world will take pause and sacrifice a lot—on a planetary scale—on behalf of its most vulnerable inhabitants. This is what is on my mind when I think about another global crisis, climate change, which threatens the ecosystems that make the world habitable for each and every one of us. I have been heartened by this glimpse into what might be possible if we all truly make the health of our planet a priority. Nature would thrive, and so would we.
Thank you for supporting our efforts to protect the lands, waters and wildlife found in Tennessee. You have always been there for nature. I hope that after this crisis passes, and it will, that we remember all of the ways in which nature helped us make it through this difficult time—whether through daily walks, time in the garden, on a family hike or in another way. Then let’s work together to continue to protect Tennessee’s lands and waters for nature and people.
See you outside.
GREAT AMERICAN OUTDOORS ACT
(June 2020)
The passage of the Great American Outdoors Act is a tremendous victory—and legacy—for all Americans. From the Grand Canyon to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, many of our lakes, rivers, trails, beaches and historic monuments—places that make up part of our national identity and cultural fabric—can now be protected and maintained for all Americans to enjoy.
As you already know, our public lands provide opportunities for solace and recreation, good-paying jobs, customers for associated businesses and habitat for wildlife—all critical to making our state and nation prosperous.
Investing in nature--clean air and water, healthy soils, and equal access to public lands and waters—is more important than ever. I don't believe that I am exaggerating when I say that nature is, and will continue to be, critical to a healthy and sustainable recovery for all of us during a time of great instability around the world.
We at The Nature Conservancy are grateful to the Tennessee Congressional delegation for their ongoing support of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. We also appreciate our Tennessee staff and trustees—past and present—for their work and dedication to helping to secure this win for all of us.
See you outside.