For those of you expecting to see Tracy’s smiling face on this page do not be alarmed. Tracy is still with us but is currently taking a much needed break from her decade of service to Wild South. Tracy was given the opportunity this summer to take a well-deserved three-month sabbatical. In the meantime, I have “taken the wheel” here at Wild South and have been enjoying the ride.

One of the things I have learned as Director is that relationships are the key to building grassroots support, raising funds, strengthening alliances, and understanding your impact. To further my relationship with all of you I would like to share my story.

I grew up in rural upstate South Carolina in a small town called Pacolet about an hour south of Asheville. The scenes I encountered daily consisted of rolling cattle farms dotted with hay bales and woodlots fragmented only by trickling streams.

As a child, I spent a majority of my time outside fishing, hunting, building forts, and swimming in the local rivers and lakes. I always enjoyed being outside, but it wasn’t until I got involved with the Boy Scouts that I discovered just how fascinating the outdoor world truly was. In pursuit of various merit badges I collected bugs and learned to observe the natural world around me.

As I grew older I dedicated my course of study in college to environmental science and still spent most of my spare time outdoors. I remember returning home after my first semester of school to discover that many of the places I had explored as child were lost to “progress.” The farms I knew once dotted with hay bales were now pocked with trailer homes. The woodlot where I had shot my first squirrel was now stripped down to red clay soil with a few scattered maples and sweet gums reclaiming the ground. What had happened? That was the moment I began to turn my love of science and ecology into activism.

With this determined attitude I attended graduate school to learn how to manage ecosystems, conserve landscapes, and educate people. While finishing school I became involved with Wild South as an intern. It was a special time for me as I began to realize I was on the right path in my life. At Wild South I found a place that tapped my passion and dedication for protecting the natural world. As school came to an end I found myself working for Wild South.

And five years later, here I am—acting as the Executive Director.

I am fortunate that in my day-to-day work I still get to have amazing encounters with spectacular landscapes and wildlife. Whether it’s stumbling across a grove of old growth trees or wrestling a two-foot Hellbender salamander from the creek, my job has taken me there. Now more than ever I realize that without my exposure to the outdoors as a child I would likely have little appreciation or value for nature.

Sadly, the majority of today’s children aren’t exposed to the things I experienced as a child. If we don’t protect our woods, waters, and wildlife there will be nothing to share with our children. And if we don’t share the great outdoors with our children we are denying them a world of beauty, wonder, imagination, truth, and connection.

Wild South is dedicated to ensuring that future generations are given the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. As Director, it is my promise to continue these efforts and provide all of you with the inspiration to rediscover nature and help others know its blessings.

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life!” – John Muir