The Nature Conservancy in Georgia

05/21/2026

We recently celebrated World Fish Migration Day with our friends over at the Georgia Aquarium and everything went swimmingly!

We hosted two film screenings of "Hidden Rivers of Southern Appalachia," a film which chronicles the work of conservation biologists and explorers throughout the region while revealing both the beauty and vulnerability of these ecosystems.

We're grateful to all of our partners, supporters, and colleagues who came out to celebrate this special occasion and share the incredible stories lurking just beneath the surface of our majestic mountain rivers.

04/22/2026

As we celebrate Earth Day 2026, The Nature Conservancy is also marking a meaningful milestone: our 75th anniversary year!

This Earth Day, we're celebrating our planet’s incredible power as we continue our commitment to protecting the lands and waters that support us all.

Let’s make Earth Day 2026 a day for all the generations that got us here—and for all the generations to come.

04/18/2026

The Nature Conservancy welcomes the Georgia General Assembly’s recent passage of legislation that extends and strengthens the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program, one of the most successful conservation programs in state history.

We are grateful for the leadership of Senator Sam Watson, Senate Majority Leader Jason R. Anavitarte, and Representative Lynn Smith in delivering this win for Georgia. The additional resources will help protect more lands and waters across the state for the benefit of Georgia’s people and its wildlife.

This is a transformational investment in our natural resources and a huge victory for all Georgians!

04/09/2026

Oysters offer critical ecosystem support along with economic, social and cultural benefits for coastal residents, including the local Gullah Geechee communities. Through our Georgia Oyster Resiliency Initiative, TNC is gathering fishers, resource managers, local governments and community leaders to bring back Georgia’s depleted oyster populations.

Read about our collaborative approach to restoration in this year’s impact report. https://nature.ly/4s5X3yx

Photo by Clay Bolt

04/06/2026

Millions of acres of ancient longleaf forests were timbered in the South, but now, we all have a part to play in their future. Together, as a movement of nonprofits, government agencies and private landowners, we are working to restore 8 million acres of longleaf forests.

Video: A prescribed burn slowly spreads among young longleaf pine in Georgia's Chattahoochee Fall Line. Nearby, fire professionals like Bryn Pipes are closely monitoring burn behavior, or the way that a fire moves through an area.

Read more about longleaf pines, restoration partnerships and prescribed fire:
https://nature.ly/4t1PmdU

04/03/2026

Northern Georgia and Alabama’s streams and rivers offer a biodiverse gateway to the Appalachians, critical for rare fish and amphibians who travel along these waterways. Only together, across state borders, can we conserve the Dugdown Corridor.

Read how we're making an impact in the South: https://nature.ly/4qIamUA

Photo by Russell Mick.

04/02/2026

We’re excited to share that conservation just got a big boost at the Georgia Capitol!

On March 31, state legislators passed a bill to both extend and strengthen the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund, which will add about $15 million per year to conservation efforts and extends the trust fund to 2039.

Since voters originally approved GOSA in a 2018 referendum, the state has allocated over $175 million for 88 projects in the state, supplemented by more than $250 million in additional funding, bringing GOSA’s total impact to more than $400 million – all without a single penny in new taxes!

“We applaud state legislators for their action to extend and strengthen conservation funding across our state through the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund,” said Monica Thornton, our executive director.

“Extending the fund to 2039 and boosting its annual funding provides additional, much-needed resources to create parks, trails, and conservation areas that benefit nature and our local communities.”

03/30/2026

Healthy oyster populations = resilient salt marshes. With their powers combined, oyster reefs and marsh systems can stabilize eroding shorelines, provide essential fish habitat and support local economies.

Protecting these ecosystems are just one way that TNC deploys nature-based solutions to combat climate change impacts. Read about recent living shoreline and oyster initiative projects in this year’s impact report.

https://nature.ly/4qLQvUy

Photos of Sapelo Island by Tyler Reinhold.

03/23/2026

Cooperative breeding: a collective approach to raising young within families. Birds like red-cockaded woodpeckers all help out around the nest, sticking around after fledging to help gather food, defend hatchlings and even incubate eggs.

Read about the ecology of cooperation on TNC's Cool Green Science blog: https://nature.ly/4jSfQKE

Why do some birds raise chicks that aren’t their own? A look at the surprising strategy of cooperative breeding and what drives it.