Our Stories

A huge thanks to everyone who came to the Oconee River Land Trust’s 30th Anniversary celebration last Sunday. An extra special thanks...

Photo by Lee Shearer Thanks to Flagpole for highlighting the harm to water quality and wildlife that the new proposed Vulcan quarry in...

Thanks to everyone who attended the ORLT hike last weekend at Tallassee Forest Preserve. A very special thanks goes out to Christine...

Madeline Van Dyck has been with ORLT since the beginning. For 30 years, she has served on the board, bringing heart and determination....

This land along the North Oconee River is protected by ORLT and located just downstream of the proposed Vulcan Quarry. Just north of...

Issac Ostrum has been a volunteer with ORLT for a few years, helping with plant identification on monitoring visits and assisting with...

Larry Dendy became a member of ORLT shortly after its founding and served on the board of directors for 25 years. While Larry has moved...

Among our members at ORLT, we are very lucky to have many highly-knowledgeable ecologists and conservationists that help our staff with...

Oconee River Land Trust is pleased to announce Dan Crescenzo as its new Executive Director. Dan replaces Steffney Thompson, who worked...

Smith Wilson and Dianne Penny placed their scenic farm on Morton Road in a conservation easement in 2017. This fall, our 30th Anniversary...

Roger Nielsen, ORLT's current secretary, has served on the board since 2013. Roger Nielsen joined the ORLT board in 2013 and currently...

An excerpt, by Madeline Van Dyck My entire childhood, at least the times between duty stations, was spent dreaming out the windows as we...

by Hans Neuhauser It all started over a couple of beers. In 1992, Rand Wentworth, the Georgia Director for the Trust for Public Land (and...

by Laura Hall In March, I met the Savage family who recently purchased 39 acres in Oglethorpe County protected by a conservation easement...

by Daniel Crescenzo Dan and Malcolm met at Camp Meeting Rock Preserve to discuss fire on granite outcrops. Photo by Malcolm Hodges As...

All photos by Dan Crescenzo and Laura Hall

Hadrien and his son Jules Hadrien Turner began working as ORLT’s Land Steward in 2019. For the past four years, he has spent countless...

These American Columbo plants (Frasera caroliniensis) were growing on an easement in Elbert County. Common in the mountains, this was...

by Theresa Pippin In February, Girl Scout Troop 12092 and ORLT staff picked up litter along a stream and secured an eroding slope at...

Dr. John Willis joined the ORLT board in 2003. As a retired UGA biology professor, John brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to...