The Longleaf Alliance

05/29/2026

Hot off the press! The latest USDA Forest Service Longleaf Pine Cone Report shows a promising outlook for 2026 – the best since 2017!

Based on green cone counts this spring, the predicted regional longleaf cone crop for this fall is GOOD with an average of 53.9 cones per tree, an encouraging indicator for both natural regeneration this fall and future nursery seedling production.

While there is hope on the horizon, it is important to remember that cone production varies by site and weather risks remain.

Annual monitoring by the UDSA Forest Service is crucial for continuing longleaf restoration efforts. Having an idea of upcoming cone crops helps longleaf growers plan for seed collection and informs land managers' upcoming activities, like prescribed burning or selective harvesting, to promote recruitment. In 2025, the poor predicted cone crop allowed partners to rally together to ensure sufficient cone collection was possible at a time when longleaf seed inventory was nearly exhausted.

Read the full report >https://longleafalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-REPORT-on-Longleaf-Pine-Cone-Production.pdf

[Photo by USDA Forest Service]

05/22/2026

Longleaf is one of the most biologically diverse landscapes in North America.

Longleaf pine ecosystems and associated habitats support a variety of species of plants and animals, some who are endangered, endemic, or rare. Just looking at groundcover plants alone, over 100 species may reside in an area smaller than a quarter acre. The longleaf landscape is essential for sustaining keystone species and building resilience.

On International Day of Biological Diversity, we encourage you to “Act Locally for Global Impact” by
sharing your plant, animal, & fungi observations on iNaturalist — a worldwide dataset that can help protect species and places. As you contribute, remember that rare or sensitive species locations should be shared only with trusted entities to help safeguard them from being disturbed.

📷: Randy Tate, Brady Beck, Samantha Dillon, Benjamin Genter, Julianne Jones, Mary Keim,
Jacob Barrett, Carol Denhof, Erin Cork, Kameron Burgess, Jay McClain, Ad Platt, Casey White,
Lisaschleicher, Vernon Compton, Crystal Cockman, Skip Pudney, Sarah Crate, Idburek, Ashlynn
Moretti, and other TLA staff members

05/21/2026

Why are bees so vital as pollinators? Unlike most other insects that visit flowers, bees actively collect pollen to carry back to their nests as food for their young. These nests aren't always in colonies like the well-known (non-native) honey bee. More than 90% of the ~3,600 native bees species in North America are solitary.



📷Brady Beck

05/11/2026

The Longleaf Alliance is hiring!

We're looking for a Longleaf Forester and two Ecosystem Support Team members to join our staff in NW Florida and South Alabama, home to the largest remaining concentration of old-growth longleaf pine, offering a chance to work in one of the most ecologically significant longleaf landscapes in the Southeast.

Details at https://longleafalliance.org/get-involved/

📷 The Ecosystem Support Team carries out a wide range of conservation activities, including installing artificial cavities to increase nesting opportunities for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. The team supports partners in the Gulf Coastal Plain Ecosystem Partnership in implementing a variety of ecosystem management projects – prescribed burning, invasive species control, mechanical treatments, ecological monitoring, rare species recovery, and more. [Alan Patterson, EST member, places a new cavity insert in a pine tree. Photo by Michael Hubbard.]

05/06/2026

Carnivorous pitcherplants don’t just trap their dinner — they also host a surprising array of wildlife. It’s not uncommon to find a treefrog tucked into a long, tubular pitcher, using it as shelter while waiting for insects drawn in by the plant’s nectar. In return, the frogs leave behind nitrogen-rich “deposits” that the plant desperately needs to thrive in nutrient-poor soils.

📷Pinewoods treefrog perches on top a yellow pitcherplant [Julianne Jones]

05/06/2026

Wetlands are important functional communities within the longleaf landscape, providing critical water storage and filtering services and serving as high-quality habitat for wildlife and native plants.

The Coastal Plain alone has over a half million bays and isolated wetlands which provide essential breeding habitat for amphibians. Because amphibians rely on clean water, they’re powerful indicators of ecosystem health.

It’s no coincidence that we celebrate during American Wetlands Month!

Photos by Julianne Jones, Ashlynn Moretti, and Rob Tiffin.

05/05/2026

Amphibians are some of the coolest creatures on the planet, and this Amphibian Week we’re celebrating them all!
🐸 Anura – frogs & toads
🦎 Urodela (or Caudata) – salamanders & newts
🪱 Gymnophiona – caecilians, legless and often underground (but not native to the U.S.)

🆚 Amphibian or Reptile?
While both are cold‑blooded, amphibians have moist, permeable skin, undergo metamorphosis (full or partial), and often lay eggs in wet areas. Reptiles, on the other hand, have dry, scaly skin, typically lay eggs on land, and include crocodilians, turtles, lizards/snakes, and tuataras (found only in New Zealand)🐢🐍.

Photos by Julianne Jones and Ashlynn Moretti; Illustrations by Ashlynn Moretti

04/28/2026

The annual Indigo Snake Festival is happening this Friday! Our staff are looking forward to seeing you there.

Join Us for the 2026 Eastern Indigo Snake & Wildlife Festival — a free, family‑friendly celebration of wildlife, conservation and the incredible outdoor experiences Conecuh has to offer.

Come learn about the Eastern Indigo Snake, meet the partners working to restore this iconic species and explore how habitat management keeps our forests healthy for all who depend on them.

💡 Fun fact: The Eastern indigo snake is the longest native snake in North America — and it’s completely nonvenomous.

Bring your curiosity, your love of the outdoors and your sense of adventure. We can’t wait to see you there.

Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, The Longleaf Alliance, Alabama Forestry Commission, Alabama Forestry Association, Alabama Extension, Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Quail Forever in Alabama, Natural Resources Conservation Service of Alabama, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of Alabama, Turtle Point Science Center

04/22/2026

Our planet gives us so much every day. Join us as we protect what sustains us, in the longleaf landscape and beyond, today and every day. Happy Earth Day!

Photo credits: Julianne Jones, Brady Beck, Jay McClain, Samantha Dillon, Kameron Burgess, Jacob Barrett, and other TLA staff