Introduction:

“Hey there! I'm Tracy Davids, and I’m based in Asheville, NC. I work in our field conservation program with an emphasis on the Southern Appalachian region. I develop conservation strategies and collaborate with our partners to protect and restore the region’s imperiled wildlife and their habitats.

I believe that the key to sustained environmental protection is a passionate, informed, and active citizenry. That’s why I work to engage communities in protecting wildlife through hands-on education and unique field experiences that connect people to nature, build appreciation for its value, and inspire action.”

 

How did you get your start in conservation?

“It began with a broken heart - the kind that happens when you wake up one day and realize the way you’ve lived your entire life is harming the planet. So, I decided to make some drastic changes. I left my traditional trial lawyer practice in Boston to pursue my new dream of becoming an environmental activist somewhere closer to nature and public lands. I settled on Asheville, NC, sold my home, and moved to southern Appalachia with a little savings, a vision, and a whole lot of passion.

Once there, I answered a call to action from the Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project to write the U.S. Forest Service asking them to reconsider their plan to log old-growth forests in Nantahala National Forest. As luck would have it, two weeks later the Project posted a part-time job for a Network Coordinator. I applied – and I got it! They were thrilled to have a lawyer on their now two-person staff, and I was even more thrilled that my dream came true.”

 

Could you share a highlight of your career so far?

“Every week in this profession offers a highlight, but I’ll focus on two – one recent and one career-defining.

I spent time this summer helping NC Wildlife Resource Commission (NCWRC) conduct annual surveys for imperiled hellbender salamanders with our interns. At the end of July, I was asked by Lori Williams, a Wildlife Diversity Biologist with NCWRC, to help with a search and rescue mission at the site of a bridge demolition over hellbender habitat.

We found two adult male hellbenders and relocated them to safety and suitable habitat about a mile downstream, giving them time to settle in before breeding season. That was the first time I was literally on the “frontline” of wildlife protection. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to help in this way.

The other highlight is being asked by the Board of Directors to step up and direct the Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project, the organization that gave me a start. They believed I could help expand its capacity and impact. I accepted the challenge and served the organization in that capacity for thirteen years. During that time, we grew and became Wild South with staff in four states. Our team helped protect tens of thousands of acres of public land from destructive activities and dozens of threatened and endangered freshwater mussels, salamanders, fish, bats, birds, plants, and even a spider. We built partnerships and a broad network of supporters throughout the region to accomplish this work – relationships that I continue to engage in my work at Defenders today.”

 

What's one species you wish people understood better?

“I mentioned it earlier: the eastern hellbender. Hellbenders are fully aquatic prehistoric salamanders that get up to two feet in length – the largest salamander in North America! We don’t know for sure how long they live, but it’s upwards of thirty years or more. Hellbenders are mostly nocturnal hunters, and their favorite prey is crayfish. They need shallow, cold, clean, clear, silt-free, fast-moving water with high oxygen levels and large flat rocks for nesting.

Another cool fact about adult hellbenders is that they breathe through their skin, which makes them very sensitive to pollution. They are imperiled throughout their range due to habitat loss and degradation, largely from sediment entering streams from the agricultural lands throughout their historic range.

That’s why Defenders created the Southeastern Hellbender Conservation Initiative in 2017. This program gives technical and financial support to agricultural producers on private lands to restore streambanks and improve water quality for hellbenders and many other species, and it lives on in North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia today."

Click here to learn more about Tracy and her work at Defenders!

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