An exciting new chapter opened at Tall Timbers this month with a groundbreaking on the Leigh Perkins Conservation Education Center.
Once complete, the facility will allow Tall Timbers to host larger groups of up to 300 people to its main campus in the Red Hills region between Thomasville, Georgia, and Tallahassee, Florida. This capacity builds on the organization’s role as the epicenter for research, education, and training on prescribed fire, land conservation and wildlife management.
Since its founding in 1958, Tall Timbers has organized 24 Fire Ecology Conferences and is a recognized convener of thought leaders, scientists, conservationists, community groups, and decision-makers. There is a growing need to convene groups and increase understanding of prescribed fire’s benefit land, wildlife, and people.
To accommodate the increasing demand for training and coordination regarding prescribed fire, land conservation, and wildlife management, Tall Timbers envisioned a large and flexible conference facility located steps from its research forest’s hands-on learning opportunities.
“Conservation education is one of the legs of our three-legged stool and probably one of the most important to ensure our future and continue the mission-oriented work that we do at Tall Timbers,” said Board Chairman Dr. George Simmons.
The new education center is named in honor of Leigh Perkins, former Tall Timbers Board member and the man responsible for growing Orvis from a niche sporting company into one of the world’s most respected outdoor brands. When Leigh passed in 2021, the Perkins Family quickly embraced the vision for a state-of-the-art conservation education facility at Tall Timbers as an excellent fit for Leigh’s conservation ethic and drive to help connect people with the outdoors.
Thanks to the Perkins family and other dedicated supporters, more than $5 million in donations have helped Tall Timbers realize this education center.
“A big thank you goes to all the people who believe in the mission and have supported this project through funding,” Simmons said.
Ajax President Jay Smith and Tall Timbers President Bill Palmer at the Leigh Perkins Conservation Education Center groundbreaking.
Ajax Building Company in Midway, Florida, has been selected to manage the project.
“Ajax has supported Tall Timbers for years, and we are proud to be working with them to complete this project. It is a much needed asset for Tall Timbers and the community,” explained Dr. Bill Palmer, Tall Timbers CEO.
“Tall Timbers means a lot to our community, and to have the opportunity to be a part of the expansion and growth in the history of Tall Timbers was something that we wanted to be a part of,” said Ajax President Jay Smith. “It’s going to be a great project, a fun project, and something that is going to be out here for years and years to come that people are going to benefit from.”
Tall Timbers is seeking additional donations to support the ongoing costs of the Leigh Perkins Conservation Education Center. To support the project, contact Crystal Rice, Tall Timbers Development Director, at cdrice@TallTimbers.org.
