What can you get done in 5 years?
You can raise enough money and work with many partners to census some 50,000 trees over more than 80 acres, every stem larger than a pencil identified, measured, geolocated, tagged and followed for 50 years. We already have the most tree-diverse forest dynamics census in North America…we’re now just steps away from having the largest.
You can bring national attention to the genetic threats bearing down on of one of North America’s most endangered forest ecosystems, the shortleaf pine savanna system. You can then collect some 2 million native Cumberland plateau seeds for restoration …the first time that’s been done in a century. You can set up a seed processing center to handle it. And you can start building a collection of native grass and wildflowers seeds that will be critical for savanna restoration.
You can help build a coalition of scientists who plan to make Paint Rock the center of cave research in North America.
You can focus scientists on the naming of multiple species new to science, including massive oaks and maples; spectacularly flowering buckeyes, azaleas, sunflowers, violets; and aquatic snails that likely exist in only one small spring run on Sharp Bingham Preserve.
You can work with U.S. Fish and Wildlife and others to develop an expanded fish and mussel surveying effort in Paint Rock River, one of the richest rivers in the temperate world.
You can begin to catalog thousands of years of human footprints (sometimes literally) in Paint Rock Valley, and work to develop a coalition of researchers who can better explore and understand human history and prehistory.
You can begin building a staff – our science director Ruby Hammond and our grants and operations manager Sarah Pacyna – who are expanding our capacity to do more good work.
You can build a board that will roll up its sleeves and help you accomplish what you need to get done.
You can build a relationship with very supportive donors and our state legislative delegation who help you through the rough spots and set you on a path to long term success.
We celebrated our 5th official year as a non-profit organization this month. Our history goes back farther than that, and we’ll tell that story in coming weeks. Our future prospects are beginning to match our 50-year vision. But boy, we got a lot done in 5 years, and we took some time to enjoy it.