Stewardship
Stewardship of the land is an essential component of conservation. Since its founding, Athens Conservancy has made stewardship a key focus of preserving our lands and resources. This includes engaging in on-site management of natural resources; providing safe, enjoyable, and educational access to preserves; and monitoring the land to ensure that its objectives are achieved.
Stewardship activities are carried out by staff, board members, university interns, conservation organizations, educational and civic groups, and volunteers. These collaborators are knowledgeable about the approaches and methods for stewardship activities, and passionate about preserving land, natural resources, and access to nature. Three integrated elements of stewardship are addressed:
Management of Natural Resources
Managing natural resources on-site is a prime goal of our mission to preserve wild and scenic places, protect water quality and maintain healthy, resilient ecosystems. The main objectives are the management of invasive plant species, restoration of native plant species, restoration or creation of vernal pools, and the fostering of wildlife habitat structures. These activities work to restore the land and natural resources to a condition that more closely resembles an Appalachian ecosystem. Another on-site activity is to permit the hunting of deer as a component of land to aid in the enhancement of native plant species and ecological services.
Safe, Enjoyable and Educational Access
Providing public access is helps connect people with nature for recreation, education, and inspiration. To ensure that access is safe and enjoyable, stewardship activities have focused on building and maintaining foot trails, creating public access sites and safe parking lots, providing onsite and online sources of information, clearing unsafe structures, and ensuring unsafe natural conditions are mitigated. Our preserves have served as laboratories for university-sponsored experiential learning and research activities, enhancing understanding about the natural lands around us. More about education and research here.
Resource and Land Monitoring
Monitoring our land and related resources helps ensure that conditions are in concert with the land’s objectives and acquisition purposes and are in support of our mission and goals. This activity requires that each preserve be monitored annually to ensure the protection and maintenance of healthy, resilient ecosystems.
Stewardship is an essential component of land conservation and a key element of the Athens Conservancy work to preserve wild and scenic places, protect water quality and maintain healthy, resilient ecosystems, and to connect people with nature for recreation, education, and inspiration. Through an array of committed individuals and groups we are meeting these needs and enhancing the well-being of our environment and community.