"I love to play detective in the woods. What’s different on a conserved property since my last visit? It sets my heart aflutter to use all my senses and cues around me to understand the change. Before I arrived at this photo point, I noticed the water course had shifted both upstream and downstream, making my walk a muddy one. Whodunit?"

"I love it when history and ecology combine during a property survey and unexpectedly double the impact on land conservation. This early to late 17th to early 18th-century homestead was a delightful find when documenting conservation values on a future conservation easement in 2022. The homestead's surrounding habitat, an Oak-Hickory-Pine forest, is still standing, while the larger forest surrounding it was converted into a pine plantation. Without this historical site, the Oak-Hickory-Pine habitat, considered a High-Priority Habitat by the GA DNR, would most likely have been cut and replanted with pine. While the records of who lived here and the tales of their early American life may have vanished, traces of their existence remain. I love that both home and habitat are beautifully intertwined and now permanently protected!"

"What plant is tiny, often overlooked, and resilient in harsh environments? Mosses! While the rest of the forest remains dormant this February, mosses are easy to spot and easier to love. They might look like bright green pincushions, feathers, or ferns. Next time you’re on a hike, look closely at the forest floor; you may find it is easy to fall in love with even the tiniest of organisms."