It was so good to spend time with Charley again. He has a remarkable curiosity for many things, a keen eye for observing plants and asks very very good questions.

Mitch Reid the new Nature Conservancy State Director and Keith Tassin made a visit to meet in Paint Rock. We are so pleased to have him as state director, Mitch is going to do a lot of good in Alabama and we need it. He knows this state well, especially the rivers and has wide ranging connections across the country and to every corner of Alabama. We are so glad to have him.

A hot day in August these brave folks ventured from the cool offices of Hudson Alpha to the hills of the Sharp Bingham Preserve. The conversations and ideas were intense. There are more discussions coming on the how we use genomics to understand what is happening in the forest.