Latest On The Conservation Gateway
A well-managed and operational Conservation Gateway is in our future! Marketing, Conservation, and Science have partnered on a plan to rebuild the Gateway into the organization’s enterprise content management system (AEM), with a planned launch of a minimal viable product in early FY26. If you’re interested in learning more about the project, reach out to megan.sheehan@tnc.org for more info!
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In
2014, partners in the Heart of the Appalachians landscape (VA/WV) of the Central
Appalachians Fire Learning Network developed a set of four interpretive signs. These
signs have been placed at Douthat State Park, Warm Springs Mountain Preserve, and
Hidden Valley Dispersed Recreation Area to help interpret sites with various histories of controlled burns.
The signs include messages about the historic role of fire in the Appalachians, fire history research, plant and wildlife benefits of controlled burns, fuel reduction benefits of controlled burns, fire teams and safety. These messages, many of which are repeated
across sites, were refined from those developed as part of the TNC Fire
Communications Kit (2012), with some locally adapted messages and content (fire
history, etc.) being unique to the location and/or systems in which they were
installed. Messages and graphics also closely mirrored content used
in the Controlled Burning for Healthy Forest Management in the Appalachians
brochure that was revised and reprinted earlier in 2014.
A small team of
partners developed the content, then contracted with a graphic designer for refinement. The signs are 24”x36” fiberglass embedded panels with low-profile traditional
“T” style aluminum bases. The total cost (design, labor and bases) was about $1000 per sign.