TIFTON—The Nature Study Area at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College will get a new boardwalk thanks to a recently announced $2,097 Wildlife Viewing Grant from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to the ABAC Foundation.
“The Nature Study Area on the ABAC campus is one of only two public nature trails in Tift County,” Dr. Mark Kistler, Dean of ABAC’s School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said. “This grant will allow our students in Natural Resource Management under the supervision of the faculty and staff in the Department of Forest Resources to make needed repairs and improvements to the boardwalk along the nature trail.
“These repairs and improvements will not only allow our students to have a safe and enjoyable hike through the Nature Study Area but will also benefit Tifton area residents who frequently walk, jog, and ride their bicycles through our campus. These funds will allow us to enhance the plant and wildlife viewing experience for everyone.”
The grants program, funded by the Georgia Nongame Wildlife Conservation Fund, helps develop and enhance wildlife viewing options, with an emphasis on State Wildlife Action Plan species and habitats. Georgia’s Wildlife Action Plan is a comprehensive strategy to conserve these animals, plants, and places before they become rarer and costlier to conserve or restore.
Dr. Jon Ambrose, Chief of DNR’s Wildlife Conservation Section, said the result is that Georgians and others will have more options to experience the state’s native wildlife, including high-priority species and habitats identified in the Wildlife Action Plan.
“With the pandemic imposing limitations on all of us, wildlife viewing is a healthy and engaging outdoors activity that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and requires little or no investment except for time,” Ambrose said.
Dr. Vanessa Lane, ABAC Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management and a Certified Wildlife Biologist, and Dr. Deidre Martin, Chief Development Officer, developed the grant.
###
