Laura Hunt is the Volunteer Coordinator for the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative. She joined SGI in 2021. Laura brings an abundance of energy, passion, and enthusiasm to the team. Her educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences from Lipscomb University’s Institute for Sustainable Practices. Recently we sat down with Laura to learn a little more about her and her role at the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative.

Q. How did you get interested in nature and the outdoors?

I was born interested. I can’t remember ever not loving everything about nature and the outdoors. As a kid it starts with box turtles and creeks and crawdads and trees and other things like that. And when you love those things, you want to get closer to them and you want to see everything about them.

You pick up the box turtle and see all the ridges and colors and the toenails and you want to know more about it. Then you begin to see connections between the box turtle and everything around it. So, you just go from individual animals to plants to entire ecosystems to the whole Earth. That’s the wonderful thing about nature – the more you investigate what you love, the more you love it.

Q. How did you get interested in grasslands?

I heard about an opportunity to do a native plant rescue from a nearby area that was about to be developed. I immediately volunteered and through that experience was introduced to Dwayne Estes, SGI, and Dunbar Cave Grassland. When I heard Dwayne talk about how vast and important the Southeastern grasslands used to be, his passion and enthusiasm hooked me. I had to learn more about the Southeastern grasslands because I didn’t even know they were a “thing.”

As I was reading and learning more, I realized that this was an issue that I could do something about. I had been wanting to go save the rainforests, or the polar bears, or the orangutans in the palm forests – to make a difference with all those big, iconic, global issues that we all hear about. But I was a regular person living in Tennessee, so how much could I really do? Yet, here was a conservation organization where I lived which was working on another disappearing ecosystem in a place where I could do something and make a difference.

Q. What did you do prior to coming to the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative?

I wanted to make a difference and save nature so I decided to go back to college and get a degree in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences. I learned about SGI while I was at Lipscomb University. I saw how SGI provided an opportunity to “think globally, act locally,” so I began volunteering while I was finishing up my degree.

As I volunteered at SGI, one of the things that I realized was that they needed someone who could help find and coordinate others who also share the same passion and who want to help promote the mission. So, I said “I can do that for you,” because I was thrilled to find out there was something I could do locally that would help conservation globally, and I knew I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

Q. What is your role with the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative?

As SGI’s Volunteer Coordinator, I want to build an outlet for people to fuel their passion while contributing to research and conservation. I look at volunteering as more than just getting a task done. To me volunteering is a fun way to gain experience in a field, to rub elbows with people in that field, to have fun exploring different paths, and to just interact with other like-minded individuals who want to make a difference. It’s about building a community where we can all work and play together while creating positive changes. It’s just a wonderful way to connect community, to science, to conservation, and to just have fun together.

Q. What are you most excited about when it comes to working with the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative?

Being able to work with like-minded people doing something we all love. I’m not just trading hours for dollars. I get to do something engaging, rewarding, and fulfilling that makes a positive difference for nature.

Q. What are some of your hobbies?

I’ve had lots of hobbies over my lifetime. Some of my favorites right now are creek stomping with my dog, reading non-fiction, and spending time outside.

Q. Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Right now, most of our on-going volunteer activities are in Tennessee. But, just because we don’t have on-going projects in your area yet, doesn’t mean we can’t build relationships and network. If you are interested in volunteering, then reach out to me. That way we can begin getting to know each other and you’ll be on my radar to contact when we do have volunteer opportunities in your area. SGI has projects going throughout the Southeast and we never know when we might need help with one of those projects.

SHANNON TRIMBOLI, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Shannon helps the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative tell the forgotten and untold stories of our Southeastern grasslands.