Gentian Creek easement is an ecology education gem

Jan 9, 2024

Gentian Creek has been under a Tall Timbers conservation easement since 2016. The roughly 250-acre property in Thomas County is home to Gentian Creek Preserve, a nature preserve and educational facility launched by owners Marta Jones Turner and Jerry M. Turner in the Fall of 2022. We’re proud to work with the Turners to help employ exemplary land stewardship practices that preserve the diverse and unique ecosystems of the Red Hills and for their efforts in spreading a love for the region to others.

Reena Coppola, program director for Gentian Creek, has played a vital role by establishing program units, conducting research, mapping the trail system, collaborating with illustrators to design custom murals, creating program content, and leading exploratory excursions and laboratory studies for students.

The following story by Laura Albritton with photos by Jerry Turner appeared in the March- April 2023 edition of Southwest Georgia Living Magazine

Despite South Georgia’s remarkable wildlife and terrain, some schoolchildren never encounter our region’s flora and fauna outside of a classroom.

The diverse plant and animal species remain accessible only through textbooks—or a computer. One Thomas County couple decided that this needed to change. Marta Jones Turner and Jerry M. Turner recognized that, for young learners, nothing can take the place of experience in the field.

“Developing a respect and appreciation for the natural world begins with what’s within our reach in our backyards, the woods’ edge, the ponds you fish in, trails you walk on,” shares Marta. “It’s where you are that you can make the most difference.”

With that in mind, the Turners have established an invaluable new institution: the Gentian Creek Preserve.

Read the full story by clicking here:

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