By Vann Middleton, Director of Operations & Support
Did you know that over 85% of your gift to the Tall Timbers Membership Program goes directly to on the ground support of our Research, Conservation and Education programs? In this day and age where all non-profits are carefully scrutinized for the amount of administrative and fundraising costs in relation to dollars contributed, Tall Timbers is proud to rank among the most efficient charitable organizations in the country.
While administrative costs are a part of operating most any non-profit, Tall Timbers strives to ensure our donors that 89 cents of every dollar given to our membership program goes directly to the programs that they aim to support. We greatly appreciate the generous support provided by all of our members and donors. The success of Tall Timbers relies on the continued support of people like you. As a charitable organization, we hold ourselves accountable to all who have made an investment in our future. Tall Timbers is committed to efficiently managing the financial resources that have been bestowed upon us.
Our pledge to you as a member is to be fiscally responsible stewards of your investment while ensuring that your gift makes a direct impact on the programs for which it was intended.
With only a few short weeks left in 2012, our annual Membership campaign is drawing to a close. We have an ambitious goal of $420,000 for the year. With your help and participation, we can reach that goal. Please consider renewing your financial support today. You can do so securely online at: http://www.talltimbers.org/membership.html. If you have already done so, we hope that you might consider giving a gift of membership to a friend or colleague that you think would enjoy the benefits of becoming a member.
In this time of giving, we wish to give thanks to each and every one of you who have given of your time, talents and treasure to Tall Timbers in 2012.
The Parker-Williams Library is a valuable resource
By Carol Armstrong, Librarian
On your next visit to Tall Timbers we invite you to check out the library. The Parker-Williams Library at Tall Timbers Research Station & Land Conservancy is a valuable resource for our staff scientists as well as the international fire community. The library answers many requests for materials or information, some from as far away as Italy. We subscribe to about 85 periodical subscriptions. The library is in the midst of several projects, including a map preservation project, and shifting the entire collection of books, periodicals and government documents, to make room where needed.
We also add about 1,100 to over 1,350 bibliographic records, per year, to the E.V. Komarek Fire Ecology Database. The Fire Ecology Database is posted on the internet as a bibliographic resource for the international fire community. We collect articles, books, chapters of books, government documents, and conference proceedings on fire ecology, fire dependent species, and fire dependent ecosystems and their inhabitants, then add them to the Database, with keywords. We are not a document delivery service, but rather a bibliographic resource, in that we do not provide the articles, books, etc., but just the references so that patrons can request the materials at their local libraries. Partial funding for the Fire Ecology Database comes from a federal grant through the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP), the Fire Research and Management Exchange System (FRAMES), and the Southern Fire Exchange (SFE).
The library is open to the public by appointment only. Community members may use the materials in the library, but may not check them out. A copier is available to copy any materials needed. We participate in the OCLC interlibrary loan program, sharing our resources with other member libraries in this worldwide library cooperative.
Auction and Golf Tournament another successful event for Tall Timbers Foundation
By Vann Middleton, Director of Operations & Support
On the evening of September 22, over 200 Tall Timbers supporters packed the main dining room at Glen Arven Country Club in Thomasville to raise some fun and a lot of much needed funds in support of the Tall Timbers Foundation. In what has become an annual tradition, the Kate Ireland Memorial Auction serves as a critical component of our annual fundraising needs. With plenty of great items to bid on in both the silent and live auction, the evening’s patrons were treated to a wonderful evening of delicious food, drink and lively bidding.
When the dust finally settled and the final gavel struck the block, the evening’s net proceeds generated over $130,000 for the Foundation, far surpassing our budgeted goal. By far our largest annual fundraiser, the Auction provides critical financial support that help supplement the operating needs of the research, conservation and education programs of Tall Timbers. A gracious thank you to all who donated items, provided financial support or participated in the evening’s festivities. Your support is greatly appreciated!
The following morning, eighteen golf teams hit the links at historic Glen Arven in pursuit of the coveted Kate Ireland Cup and bragging rights as champions of the Tall Timbers Invitational Golf Tournament. A crisp autumn day greeted the golfers at Glen Arven. As usual, the scores were low and the competition fierce. Roars reverberating on the back nine when Todd Mills struck a perfect 6 iron on the 13th hole for a hole in one – the first ever recorded in the 17 year history of the tournament. Congratulations Todd! At the end of the day, the team of David Cochran, Michael Douglas, Chris Newman and Corey Butler took home first place honors with a blazing net score of 52.
L-R: Micharel Douglas, David Cochran, Corey Butler (not pictured: Chris Newman)
Thanks to all who participated and as always, we are grateful for your support of Tall Timbers. See you next year!
Auction Photo Album
At left, Bernie Lanigan and Daphne Wood; at right, George Simmons, Chip and Sheila Melton
At left, checking out the auction items; at right, Kevin and Kathleen Kelly.
At left, Danny and Kathy MacQuirter; at right auction items donated by Tall Timbers supporters.
At left, Vann Middleton, Tall Timbers Director of Operations & Support, who organizes the auction & Golf Tournament each year, encourages the guest to bid; at right, Gates & Brandy Kirkham.
In these times of financial uncertainty, it is critical that we remain focused on our mission: Promoting good land stewardship through research, conservation and education. For 55 years now, Tall Timbers has remained at the forefront of critical research in the areas of fire ecology, forestry and wildlife management. Tall Timbers continues to be a vocal advocate for private landowner rights, helping shape public policy decisions on wildlife management, prescribed fire and land conservation. It is our hope that you will continue your investment in the future of Tall Timbers by renewing your annual gift this year.
You can be assured that your financial investment in Tall Timbers is being put to great use. Our research and conservation staff is able to leverage the support of our membership program by finding matching grant dollars from foundations, government agencies and corporate resources to help fund our programs at full capacity. In many cases, for every $1 contributed to our membership program we are able to find an additional $3 to match it from outside sources. Your membership makes a difference.
If you have already renewed your membership gift this year, we thank you. If not, you can easily click to renew online. With your help we can reach our annual goal of $425,000 by the end of the year.
The Director of Development and Marketing will plan, implement and coordinate the full range of development activities at Tall Timbers including: annual giving, grant writing, major gift solicitations, special project fundraising and coordinate all special event fundraisers. Additionally, the position will develop and implement a comprehensive marketing program aimed at increasing the visibility and reach of Tall Timbers across several mediums.
Primary responsibilities:
Plan, cultivate and implement the annual membership program to increase individual giving, including donor cultivation and stewardship efforts
Prospect, vet and cultivate foundation and agency grant opportunities that further Tall Timbers’ mission and purpose
Manage and coordinate all special event fundraisers of the Tall Timbers Foundation
Develop and maintain a planned giving program including estate planning and bequests
Coordinate all special project fundraising needs (capital campaigns, corporate giving program, program specific giving)
Integrate a strategic marketing process and plan through branding, messaging, social media and other traditional sources
Collaborate with all aspects of the organization to deliver messaging that will increase visibility and financial support
Provide coordination and leadership support to the Development Committee of the Board of Trustees and Development Committee of the Tall Timbers Foundation
Qualifications:
Experience in development and/or marketing
Demonstrated track record designing and executing major gift fundraising initiatives
An understanding and knowledge of southwest Georgia and north Florida a plus
Must share a passion for conservation of natural resources
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to communicate to a wide audience of constituents
Strong team management experience – must work collaboratively with others;
Creative writing skills, social media development experience, and visual artistic management skills required to direct, design and produce a full suite of collateral marketing materials and public relations information consistent with the mission of Tall Timbers
Demonstrated conceptual skills, analytical capabilities and creative thinking
Excellent interpersonal, organizational and computer skills
Proficient in Microsoft Office applications
Attention to sensitive and confidential issues a must
Bachelor’s degree in marketing or non-profit management required
About Tall Timbers:
Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy is a charitable, non-profit ecological research station and conservation land trust founded in 1958 on the 4,000 acre Tall Timbers property in rural Leon County, Florida. The mission of Tall Timbers Research Station & Land Conservancy is to foster exemplary land stewardship through research, conservation & education.
Our primary research focus is the ecology of fire and natural resource management especially bobwhite quail and other wildlife in southeastern pine systems. Our conservation efforts are dedicated to helping protect the distinctive rural Red Hills landscape of south Georgia and north Florida and selected strategic properties outside this region. Our education program transfers research, land management and conservation information to enhance natural resource management on private and public lands.
To Apply:
Candidates should send resume and cover letter to: Bill Palmer, Ph.D., President, Tall Timbers 13093 Henry Beadel Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32312 or to bill@ttrs.org. Sorry, phone calls cannot be accepted.
The M-CORES program, which includes the proposed Suncoast Connector Toll Road in Jefferson County, passed through the Florida Legislature at breakneck speed with little review or analysis. Tall Timbers has a number of concerns given the potential for significant and wide spread impacts. These include fragmenting public and private conservation lands, robbing business from Main Street Monticello, impacting our rivers and other water resources, and making prescribed fire more difficult and costly.
Join us in asking the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners to OPPOSE the Suncoast Connector toll road and its path through Jefferson County.
Take action now with our easy email form.
Send an email to all five Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners with one click!
Burn prioritization modeling seminars and fire modeling tools are supported by Wildland Fire Science to train managers in the important planning stages of prescribed fires.
Educating and guiding the next generation of fire researchers and managers is a key goal of Wildland Fire Science and a resource for testing new ideas in fire research.
Tall Timbers hosts the premier fire technology transfer organization—the Southern Fire Exchange. This JFSP funded effort helps connect research to management through webinars, workshops, and support of the Prescribed Fire Science Consortium.
Working with partners in the Prescribed Fire Science Consortium, the program is building nexgen 3-D fuel beds using terrestrial LiDAR and novel sampling techniques to power new fire behavior models for prescribed fire managers. This work links to Tall Timbers work in wildlife habitat usage and ecological forestry.
The Longleaf Legacy landscape prescribed fire burn team arm of Wildland Fire Science works directly with landowners and partners to effectively put fire on the ground and promote prescribed fire throughout the region.
Tall Timbers is leading an effort to map fire regimes at the landscape scale. Staff work with numerous agencies to evaluate fire records and satellite imagery to build this critical conservation database. https://skfb.ly/6DqOY
Tall Timbers hosts the Prescribed Fire Science Consortium, a national network of researchers and managers who promote integrated research and management to advance next generation tools for fire practitioners. https://arcg.is/1DSjDT
We are linking physics and field observations to understand the fluid dynamics of fire behavior surface fire regimes. Our work combines field observations using advanced thermal imaging techniques, laboratory studies, and coupled fire-atmospheric modeling to help managers improve outcomes of managed fire regimes.
Selected Publications authored by Wildland Fire Science staff.
Staff and researchers support Federal fire training by serving as a cadre for NWCG training courses, ranging from basic wildland fire to advanced fire effects.
(PFTC) specializes in training fire fighters the principles and techniques of prescribed fire through practical hands-on experience. https://www.fws.gov/fire/pftc/
Private land owners are the largest source of prescribed fire in the country. These land owners and the culture of fire that was maintained by them during decades of suppression are a part of why Tall Timbers is a world-wide center for prescribed fire science. Workshops and fire training are a critical focus of the Longleaf Legacy Landscape Burn Team and our support of the Georgia Forestry Commission Prescribed Fire Center in Marion County.
The conserved lands of the Greater Red Hills region are found on working, income-producing properties that support agriculture, forestry, and recreational hunting. These properties contribute $272 million annually to local economies and support 2,300 jobs. [link to Planning & Advocacy section] The landowners’ strong stewardship ethic preserves their working lands while replenishing drinking water supplies, protecting water quality, and providing wildlife habitat for dozens of rare and endangered species. Tall Timbers’ conservation easements on these working properties encourage landowners to retain their traditional livelihood by keeping farms in family ownership.
Home to world-class wild quail populations, the Greater Red Hills region contains the largest concentration of gamebird preserves in the United States. These preserves also support the largest community of Red-cockaded woodpeckers on private lands. Indicators of high quality habitat found here include the gopher tortoise, Bachman’s sparrow, fox squirrel, and many amphibians. Tall Timbers’ conservation easements identify and protect the critical habitats of these species.
The region also boasts outstanding aquatic resources. Large river systems, like the Flint/Apalachicola, Ochlockonee, and Aucilla, flow from Georgia and feed into the Gulf of Mexico to support some of the world’s most productive estuaries. Large disappearing sinkhole lakes, like Iamonia, Miccosukee, and Jackson, provide habitat for an array of aquatic species and migratory birds. Tall Timbers’ conservation easements protect these vital watersheds and wetlands that are the lifeblood for the ecological health of the region.
Once dominated by longleaf pine, our pine woodlands support abundant wildlife and local economies. These forests need prescribed fire to stay healthy. Herbert L. Stoddard and his associates Ed and Roy Komarek were pioneers in this emerging scientific field during the mid-20th century. Tall Timbers continues that legacy with applied research on prescribed fire and land management. Today, there is a tremendous need to expand prescribed fire use beyond the Red Hills to ensure ecosystem health and reduce wildfire risk. Additionally, Tall Timbers uses conservation easements to permanently protect private woodlands while balancing the need for economic return from selective timbering.
