Tall Timbers Research Inc

THE MISSION OF TALL TIMBERS RESEARCH, INC. IS TO FOSTER EXEMPLARY LAND STEWARDSHIP THROUGH RESEARCH, CONSERVATION AND EDUCATION.

GAME BIRD PROGRAMS - GAME BIRD STAFF CONDUCTED RESEARCH ON NORTHERN BOBWHITE POPULATION DYNAMICS AT CORE STUDY AREAS IN THE RED HILLS OF FLORIDA (TALL TIMBERS RESEARCH STATION, LIVINGSTON PLACE) AND GEORGIA (ALBANY QUAIL PROJECT). AT THESE CORE LOCATIONS STAFF CONDUCTS YEAR-ROUND MONITORING OF SURVIVAL AND REPRODUCTION, AS WELL AS PRODUCES ESTIMATES OF SPRING AND/OR FALL BOBWHITE POPULATIONS. IN ADDITION TO THESE CORE LONG-TERM RESEARCH SITES, TWO STUDY AREAS IN CENTRAL FLORIDA CONTINUE TO AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNIQUES IN SAW PALMETTO/MESIC FLATWOODS HABITATS AND ONE EACH IN NORTH CAROLINA IN SANDHILLS HABITAT AND IN THE PINEYWOODS ECOSYSTEM OF EAST TEXAS PROVIDE REGIONAL MANAGEMENT INFORMATION OUTSIDE THE TRADITIONAL RED HILLS AND ALBANY REGIONS. WE RADIO-TAGGED OVER 1000 BOBWHITES AS PART OF BOTH LONG-TERM RESEARCH AND GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH ON OUR STUDY SITES; WE CONTINUED RESEARCH ON BOBWHITE CHICK SURVIVAL AND HABITAT USE IN COLLABORATION WITH RESEARCHERS AT MULTIPLE UNIVERSITIES. OUR WILD BOBWHITE EXPANSION CONTINUES VIA TRANSLOCATION BY TALL TIMBERS MOVING OVER 7000 BOBWHITES TO DATE; IN 2021, WE TRANSLOCATED WILD BOBWHITES FROM FL AND GA TO SITES IN SC, FL, GA AND AL FOR BOTH RESEARCH PURPOSES AND TO ESTABLISH NEW POPULATIONS; WE CONDUCTED THE THIRD YEAR OF OUR TRANSLOCATION TO PUBLIC LANDS AS PART OF A LARGER RESEARCH INITIATIVE TO UNDERSTAND PUBLIC-LANDS MANAGEMENT AND FACTORS LIMITING BOBWHITE HUNTING OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC. QUAIL MANAGEMENT RESEARCH STAFF PUBLISHED 6 PEER-REVIEWED PAPERS, WITH SEVERAL OTHERS IN PRESS; PUBLISHED THE ANNUAL QUAIL CALL NEWSLETTER; AND VISITED OVER 80 PROPERTIES IN AL, FL, GA, NC, SC, TX AND VA TO PROVIDE OUTREACH ON EXEMPLARY QUAIL MANAGEMENT.

FIRE PROGRAMS - FIRE SCIENCE AND FIRE ECOLOGY RESEARCH STAFF FOCUSED ON CRITICAL RESEARCH ON FUELS, FIRE BEHAVIOR, FIRE EFFECTS, AND SMOKE IN THE SOUTH AND ACROSS THE US. SCIENTISTS PRODUCED 36 SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS IN 2021. PER OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, WE CONTINUED OUR INCREASED FOCUS ON OUR NATIONAL ENGAGEMENT; WE CO-HOSTED THE 9TH INTERNATIONAL FIRE CONGRESS AND LED MULTIPLE SPECIAL SESSIONS AND ROUNDTABLES WITH OVER 500 ATTENDEES FROM 27 COUNTRIES. OUR PRESCRIBED FIRE SCIENCE PROGRAM LED A COVID-SAFE FIRE SCIENTIST-MANAGER EXPERIMENT IN NEW JERSEY AND MULTIPLE ENGAGEMENTS BETWEEN SCIENTISTS AND MANAGERS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST. STAFF MADE 18 PRESENTATIONS VIA WEBINARS AND COVID-SAFE MEETINGS ON THE IMPEDIMENTS TO PRESCRIBED FIRE, FIRE-CAUSED TREE MORTALITY, PLANT COMMUNITY RESPONSES TO FIRE, DEVELOPMENT OF NEXT-GENERATION FIRE BEHAVIOR MODELS, AND CONTINUED RESEARCH ON DENDROCHRONOLOGY TO DETERMINE FIRE HISTORY OVER THE LAST FIVE CENTURIES. SCIENTISTS WORKED WITH UNIVERSITY FACULTY AND 11 GRADUATE STUDENTS FROM FLORIDA, GEORGIA, ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI, VIRGINIA, AND WASHINGTON. STAFF ASSISTED WITH FIRE TRAINING THROUGH THE NATIONAL INTERAGENCY PRESCRIBED FIRE TRAINING CENTER FOR AGENCY ADMINISTRATORS ACROSS THE US. STAFF LED PRESCRIBED FIRE OUTREACH AND APPLICATION ON > 55 SITES ACROSS THE LONGLEAF LEGACY LANDSCAPE IN GA, AL, AND FL. STAFF ENGAGED WITH LEADERSHIP OF NATIONAL FIRE MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS IN DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR AND AGRICULTURE AND AGENCY LEADERSHIP ON RESEARCH AND APPLICATION PRIORITIES.

LAND CONSERVANCY PROGRAMS - IN LAND CONSERVATION IN 2021, TALL TIMBERS CLOSED ON 8 DONATED CONSERVATION EASEMENTS LOCATED IN SOUTHWEST GEORGIA FOR A TOTAL OF 7,815 ACRES. THE ORGANIZATION COMPLETED ALL ANNUAL MONITORING RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ITS CONSERVATION EASEMENTS (124 PROPERTIES) AND LAND HOLDINGS (2 PROPERTIES) AND COMPLETED 860 HOURS OF STEWARDSHIP SERVICES. TALL TIMBERS SUBMITTED FLORIDA FOREVER APPLICATIONS FOR PURCHASED CONSERVATION EASEMENTS FOR THE 18,607-ACRE AUCILLA CORRIDOR AND 945-ACRE FOSHALEE SLOUGH PROJECTS TO THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. TALL TIMBERS BEGAN IMPLEMENTATION OF REGIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM GRANT ($7,066,883) FROM THE NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE TO FUND PRIVATE LAND CONSERVATION AND STEWARDSHIP IN THE ST. MARKS RIVER AND AUCILLA RIVER WATERSHEDS, HIRING THREE STAFF MEMBERS TO ADMINISTER THE GRANT. THE PROGRAM HAS ATTRACTED 37 APPLICATIONS FOR STEWARDSHIP MANAGEMENT FUNDING ASSISTANCE AND 11 POTENTIAL CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROJECTS; SELECTION OF PROJECTS WILL BEGIN IN THE SPRING OF 2022. TALL TIMBERS WAS AWARDED A $635,620 "CONSERVE GEORGIA" GRANT FROM THE GEORGIA OUTDOOR STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM FOR A PURCHASED CONSERVATION EASEMENT ON BIRDSONG NATURE CENTER IN GRADY COUNTY. BIOLOGICAL MONITORING INCLUDED COMPLETING CCAA DRAFTING AND EDITS AND CONDUCTING GOPHER TORTOISE AND AMPHIBIAN SURVEYS ON SELECTIVE RED HILLS PROPERTIES. IN LAND USE PLANNING AND ADVOCACY, TALL TIMBERS WORKED WITH PARTNERS TO SECURE PASSAGE OF FLORIDA SENATE BILL 100 REPEALING THE M-CORES TOLL ROAD PROGRAM, FOLLOWING A TWO-YEAR EFFORT BY TALL TIMBERS TO KEEP THE SUNCOAST TOLL ROAD OUT OF THE RED HILLS. TALL TIMBERS WORKED WITH LEGISLATORS AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TO ADVANCE THE CONCEPT OF A PRESCRIBED FIRE CATASTROPHE FUND IN FLORIDA. TALL TIMBERS WORKED WITH LEON COUNTY AND A PRIVATE LANDOWNER FOR A SUCCESSFUL ACQUISITION OF NORTHEAST PARK TRACT TO REMAIN A PRIVATE HUNTING PRESERVE WHILE MOVING THE PROPOSED COUNTY PARK TO A MORE APPROPRIATE SITE FOR PUBLIC RECREATION. UNDER TALL TIMBERS' STEWARDSHIP, THE MULTI-YEAR RESTORATION AND REHABILITATION OF THE LIVINGSTON PLACE MAIN HOUSE WAS COMPLETED. WITH ASSISTANCE FROM THE FLORIDA DIVISION OF HISTORICAL RESOURCES, THE ENTIRE 9,125-ACRE LIVINGSTON PLACE PROPERTY WAS SUCCESSFULLY NOMINATED FOR LISTING IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.