The Land Conservancy at Tall Timbers is accredited and recognized as one of the nation’s leading land trusts, protecting the distinctive landscape of South Georgia and North Florida in the Red Hills and beyond. Since establishment of the land trust in 1990, more than 161,000 acres have been permanently protected with conservation easements. Tall Timbers applies a holistic approach to planning and advocacy and land conservation efforts, utilizing the science and principles of fire ecology, sustainable forestry, wildlife management, and working lands conservation.

About this Partner Project

In the Red Hills Region of North Florida and South Georgia, prescribed fire is a vital component in maintaining native groundcover, habitat for several fire-dependent and fire-adapted Southeastern bird species.  In this region, northern bobwhite, Bachman’s sparrow, brown-headed nuthatch, Eastern towhee, and loggerhead shrike are among those species thriving on private lands carefully managed with prescribed growing-season burns.  Fire on the ground in the growing season facilitates regeneration and seeding of native plant species such as wiregrass that carpet the floors of longleaf pine savannas, home to a broad diversity of wildlife. 

Tall Timbers has been dedicated to the work of the Burning for Birds Collaborative since the project’s inception and proudly served as the lead partner in grant administration for two project phases. The focus of Tall Timbers’ work in this project is to engage private landowners in conducting growing-season prescribed fire on their properties to benefit fire-dependent bird species. Pre-burn and post-burn bird surveys are conducted on participating landowners’ properties to monitor for fire-dependent and State Wildlife Action Plan species. Data collected has been positive, showing the return and increase in fire-dependent species following growing-season burns.

This work cannot be conducted without many eyes on the skies, and Apalachee Audubon is a valuable Tall Timbers partner, with members lending their eyes, ears, and expertise to the project. Collecting eBird data on these properties is quite special and provides valuable data from private lands not accessible to the general public.

Education is another strong component of Tall Timbers’ work in the Collaborative and Southern Regional Technical College Wildlife Survey students led by Professor Jeremy Green, PhD., assist staff with eBird data collection. These students gain valuable field experience while engaging with landowners and learning about the benefits of prescribed fire on fire-dependent Southeastern bird species in the longleaf pine-wiregrass savanna ecosystem.

Return of a northern bobwhite captured on a game camera on Spring Canyon, shortly following a growing-season prescribed fire. Photo credit: Helen Roth

Exemplary Land Stewards:

Participants in the Burning for Birds project with Tall Timbers

Annie, a private landowner in North Florida participating in the Burning for Birds project through Tall Timbers, regularly monitors her property for birds.  Crooked Crook boasts a broad diversity of intact native groundcover that is vital habitat for bird species such a Bachman’s sparrow. This property, first monitored for the project in 2021, is planted with longleaf pine and is in varying stages of restoration. Following a May growing-season burn on Crooked Creek, the landowner reported “…a sighting of the return of Eastern kingbirds, common nighthawks, and crow species on the first day after the burn, the return of northern bobwhites on the third day, and the return of Bachman’s sparrows within a week following the burn.”  These fire-adapted and fire-dependent birds will thrive upon the native plant species that will soon regenerate to complement the work she has done in longleaf pine restoration on her property, a positive result of her growing-season burn.