The mission of Tall Timbers is to foster exemplary land stewardship through research, conservation and education. Our primary research focus is the ecology and management of fire-dependent ecosystems, and its wildlife, including bobwhite quail, in the Southeastern Coastal Plain. Our conservation efforts are dedicated to helping protect the distinctive, rural landscape of South Georgia and North Florida and its traditional land uses. Our education program transfers research and conservation information for resource management. The goal of our research programs is to better understand the ecology of our ecosystems and apply that understanding toward better land stewardship. Our stewardship ethic supports productive and sustainable use of land, including hunting and forestry, in a manner that maintains ecosystem health and native wildlife populations. The Fire Ecology Program conducts research to provide the public with applicable, science-based information on the appropriate use of fire for maintaining natural plant communities while protecting the health and safety of the public. Research focuses on both plant ecology and fire science, including fire behavior, emissions, remote sensing, and fire effects on soil. The Game Bird Program sets the national standard for Northern Bobwhite management through dedicated long-term research. Given the socio-economic importance of bobwhite to the Red Hills and its conservation value regionally, we conduct research on a wide variety of topics and sites to establish best management practices for bobwhites. The Stoddard Bird Lab conducts problem-solving research designed to improve conditions for the many declining birds associated with fire-maintained ecosystems. The Stoddard Lab also makes use of innovative tools designed to help endangered species like the Red-cockaded Woodpecker on private lands and has received numerous national awards for its scientific contributions, conservation initiatives, and effective outreach. Our Land Conservancy was founded in 1990 and is now a unit of Tall Timbers, and is one of the largest regional land trusts in the South. The organization was accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission in February 2009.
