Tall Timbers Research Station &
Land Conservancy

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 160,000 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. Tall Timbers has been dedicated to the work of this Collaborative since the beginning and served as the lead partner in grant administration for previous project phases.

About this Partner Project

In the Red Hills Region of North Florida and beyond, 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, and Eastern towhee are just a few of the birds 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 in the region, home to a broad diversity of wildlife. 

While, historically, there has been hesitance from some landowners to apply growing-season fire out of fear that it may remove desirable nesting bird species from their properties, in fact, growing-season burns provide the greatest benefit to native groundcover, which supports native bird species.  Birds that depend upon fire to create habitat soon return to recently burned areas, which quickly regenerate with flourishing native plant species.  Landowners who apply growing-season fire are reaping the rewards and are witness to the ecological benefit of this management technique. 

Highlight on Continued Work with Landowners

Annie Schmidt, 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.