The Orianne Society

THE ORIANNE SOCIETY ("ORIANNE") WORKS TO CONSERVE CRITICAL ECOSYSTEMS FOR IMPERILED REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS USING SCIENCE, APPLIED CONSERVATION, AND EDUCATION.

LONGLEAF SAVANNAS INITIATIVE ("LSI"): THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THE LONGLEAF SAVANNAS INITIATIVE IS WITHIN THE LONGLEAF PINE ECOSYSTEM, ONE OF THE MOST BIOLOGICALLY DIVERSE REGIONS IN THE WORLD. A LONG HISTORY OF CONVERSION OF NATIVE FORESTS TO AGRICULTURE AND COMMERCIAL TIMBERLAND, ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND FIRE SUPPRESSION HAS RESULTED IN LESS THAN 3 PERCENT OF THE ORIGINAL RANGE OF LONGLEAF PINE REMAINING. IN ADDITION TO HAVING SOME OF THE HIGHEST BIODIVERSITY IN NORTH AMERICA, THIS ECOSYSTEM IS HOME TO MANY ENDANGERED SPECIES OF PLANTS AND WILDLIFE, INCLUDING MANY REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS, SUCH AS THE EASTERN INDIGO SNAKE AND GOPHER TORTOISE. ORIANNE OWNS AND MANAGES THE ORIANNE PRESERVE SYSTEM (OPS) (WHICH CONSISTS OF ONE OF THE TEN MOST CRITICAL SAND HILL CONSERVATION AREAS IN GEORGIA) FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES. THE OPS IS IN THE PROCESS OF RESTORATION OF THE LAND TO THAT OF THE ORIGINAL HABITAT OF LONGLEAF PINE AND OTHER GRASSLANDS. IN ADDITION TO THE OPS, ORIANNE ALSO CONDUCTS EXTENSIVE LAND RESTORATION/STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMS AND RESEARCH/INVENTORY/MONITORING PROGRAMS ON GOVERNMENTAL AND PRIVATE LANDS FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON CONSERVATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, UPLAND SNAKES, GOPHER TORTOISES AND FRESHWATER TURTLES.

GREAT NORTHERN FORESTS INITIATIVE: THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF OUR GREAT NORTHERN FORESTS INITIATIVE IS THE CONSERVATION OF SPECIES AND HABITATS IN THE BOREAL-NORTHERN HARDWOOD FOREST FROM UPSTATE NEW YORK EAST THROUGH THE GASPE PENINSULA IN QUEBEC. THE REGION IT IS HOME TO MANY RARE SPECIES THAT HAVE ADAPTED TO SURVIVE IN THE TRANSITIONAL ZONE BETWEEN TWO ECOREGIONS. TURTLES ARE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF THIS REGION THAT HAS THREE GLOBALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES OF FRESHWATER TURTLES, INCLUDING THE WOOD TURTLE AND BLANDING'S TURTLE. ORIANNE HAS BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN PROJECTS TO INVENTORY AND MONITOR RARE TURTLES, CONSERVE TIMBER RATTLESNAKES AND TO WORK WITH LANDOWNERS ON HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECTS, PARTICULARLY IN AGRICULTURAL AREAS, BALANCING CONSERVATION WITH NECESSARY LAND USE.

COMMUNICATIONS, EDUCATION AND OTHER ("C&E"): ORIANNE IS WORKING TO EDUCATE, INSPIRE AND INFORM LOCAL COMMUNITIES, THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND DECISION MAKERS BY COMMUNICATING PRACTICAL AREA-WIDE AND LOCAL SOLUTIONS THAT ARE NEEDED TO SAVE AND PRESERVE SPECIES, SUCH AS GOPHER TORTOISES, EASTERN INDIGO SNAKES, WOOD TURTLES, TIMBER RATTLESNAKES, AND THEIR RELATED HABITAT. AS PART OF THIS PROCESS, WE ARE WORKING TO BE ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF CONSERVATION COMMUNICATIONS, UTILIZING VARIOUS WRITTEN, PICTORIAL AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA TO DOCUMENT THE ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES AND OTHER COHABITANTS IN THEIR ENVIRONMENTS. WE UTILIZE SUCH DATA TO COMMUNICATE TO THE SCIENTIFIC, POLITICAL AND OTHER CONCERNED INDIVIDUALS THE CURRENT STATE AND FUTURE NEEDS FOR CONSERVATION EFFORTS TO SAVE THE ENDANGERED, THREATENED AND IMPERILED SPECIES. FOR SOME SPECIES, PARTICULARLY SNAKES, PROVIDING INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC REGARDING THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE SPECIES IS ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL CONSERVATION ACTIONS THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED. INVOLVING THE PUBLIC IN SCIENTIFIC AND CONSERVATION PROJECTS IS AN IMPORTANT INITIATIVE FOR ORIANNE. IT PROVIDES A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN OUR PROJECTS AND CITIZENS INTERESTED IN CONSERVING REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS AND ENVIRONMENTS. IT ALLOWS US TO COLLECT IMPORTANT DATA FROM A WIDER AREA THAN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SIMPLY USING ORIANNE STAFF AND, AT THE SAME TIME, ENHANCE THE CONSERVATION UNDERSTANDING OF THE PARTICIPANTS. ORIANNE'S LONGLEAF SAVANNAS AND GREAT NORTHERN FORESTS INITIATIVES INCLUDE SPECIAL PLACE-BASED EVENTS AND BROADER-SCALE DATA SOLICITATION PROJECTS. OUR EVENTS PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW PARTICIPANTS WHAT WE DO ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS TO SURVEY AND CONSERVE THESE SPECIES, INCLUDING PARTICIPATING IN LAND RESTORATION. OUR PLACE-BASED EVENTS ALLOW US TO GET OUT INTO THE FIELD WITH THE PARTICIPANTS TO EDUCATE THEM AND TO COLLECT VALUABLE DATA. WE CONDUCT SPECIFIC PROJECTS ON A SMALLER SCALE THAT, DUE TO THEIR SIZE OR LOCATION, HAVE NOT BEEN DESIGNATED AS A SEPARATE MAJOR PROGRAM. SUCH PROJECTS ARE INCLUDED AS PART OF COMMUNICATIONS, EDUCATION AND OTHER.