"You ain't no kind of man if you ain't got land."

- O’ Brother Where Art Thou

It sounds simple, but that’s a powerful mantra my family grew up with.

Growing up as an African American in Georgia, in a multi-generational southern family, having land and an education- meant having respect and a measure of equality - it was the social standard my family chose to measure itself by. I credit the memories and experiences I have from times on my family's lands for shaping who I am today.

My grandparents built their own homes, nourished their children from the gardens and livestock they farmed. They celebrated births, deaths and many milestones in their backyards and built community with their neighbors from their front porches.

It was on these lands that I learned how to turn fruit into jellies; how to make doll clothing from potato sacks and how to shuck peas, clean collards and make the best cinnamon, pecan cake you've yet to have the pleasure of tasting. It was in the woods and along the creek beds near these lands that I got the chance to experience true peace. It was in these places that memories were made from times hunting and fishing with my dad and building forts with my siblings and cousins.

So helping families keep their land, keep their farms, keep their wooded forests - while also being able to protect and conserve property for the betterment of our natural resources means a great deal to me.

The work The Georgia Conservancy does with landowners across the State of Georgia, helping to protect thousands of acres annually - while respecting and preserving landowner rights and access - is one of the many reasons why I support this organization.

Please consider joining me in supporting The Georgia Conservancy. It’s a desperately important time in our history as land owners and land users and we need organizations like the Conservancy now more than ever. I’m looking for 20 of my friends to donate $50 and to help me reach my goal of $1,000 for this storyteller campaign”. Seriously, make a contribution and I’ll share that cinnamon pecan cake recipe!

https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/georgiaconservancy/campaign.jsp?campaign=702&fundraiser=7085&

Over the next 12 months we’re raising the bar: conserving more than 30,000 - 35,000 acres of land, educating more than 3,500 people in “Georgia’s outdoor classroom” that we call our trips program, and helping thousands of students and parents breath a little easier with our school siting workshops. But, truthfully, the issue that gives us great concern is maintaining steady handed advocacy on behalf of the gem of Georgia’s coast: Cumberland Island. 

With so much to do, we’ve had to expand annual fundraising goals. We’re currently $50,000 behind our expanded funding needs and we need your help.

For our 50th Anniversary, we've asked some of our most important donors and members to share their Georgia story as a Georgia Conservancy Storyteller. 

Thank you for supporting our storytellers and the Georgia Conservancy!