DATE: December 02, 2008

CONTACT: Drew Lanham, 864-656-7294
lanhamj@clemson.edu

WRITER: Susan Benson, 864-656-3869
benson2@clemson.edu

Clemson University professor receives Audubon-Toyota TogetherGreen fellowship

CLEMSON — Joseph Drew Lanham, a professor in the Clemson University forestry and natural resources department, is the recipient of a new national fellowship designed to advance the work of individuals with outstanding potential to help shape a brighter environmental future.

Lanham is one of only 40 people selected from competitors nationwide for the TogetherGreen Conservation Leadership Program, part of a new conservation initiative of the National Audubon Society with support from Toyota. Fellows receive specialized training in conservation planning and execution, the chance to work and share best practices with conservation professionals and assistance with project outreach and evaluation. Each fellow will receive $10,000 for a community-focused project to engage local residents in conserving land, water and energy and contributing to greater environmental health.

For his fellowship, Lanham will contact, educate and provide technical support for African-American rural landowners across South Carolina, learning firsthand how a significant but underserved population of potential conservationists value and manage their property.

In a project called “The Color of the Land,” he will provide technical assistance and record the stories of the unique relationships people of color have to the land. Lanham also will help them develop strategies to implement sustainable timber and wildlife management practices. His ultimate goal is to introduce the landowners to sustainable means of natural resources management that will help them improve soil, water and wildlife resources on their properties and ultimately those downstream.

While his project will help maintain rural landscapes that are diverse ethnically and ecologically, he also aims to define the conservation ethic and preserve the land legacy that has helped sustain generations of rural African-American landowners.

“Drew is the kind of person who can make a real difference in the health of our environment and the quality of our future,” said Audubon President John Flicker. “Each of our TogetherGreen Fellows demonstrates exceptional environmental understanding and commitment, combined with tremendous potential to inspire and lead others. Together, they represent the talented and diverse leadership the environmental community will need to tackle the huge challenges and opportunities confronting us now and in the years to come.”  

“The TogetherGreen Fellowship is significant in that it allows me to focus my time and talents on an issue that is heartfelt and personal to me,” said Lanham, a wildlife ecology professor. “By serving both people and wildlife, I hope to elicit outcomes that help strengthen the human-nature bond and move us to a conservation ethic in the best tradition of Aldo Leopold. I am honored and humbled to have been selected from such a diverse and well-qualified pool of candidates.”

An Edgefield native, Lanham, received both a Ph.D. in Forest Resources and a Master of Science in Zoology from Clemson University.

Landowners interested in participating in the project can call Lanham at 864-656-7294 or by e-mail at lanhamj@clemson.edu. There is no cost to participate.

A complete list of the 2008 TogetherGreen fellows can be found at www.TogetherGreen.org. The TogetherGreen initiative and grants programs are funded by a $20 million Toyota gift to Audubon, the largest in the conservation group’s history.

About Audubon
Now in its second century, Audubon connects people with birds, nature and the environment. Its national network of community-based nature centers, chapters, scientific, education and advocacy programs engage millions of people from all walks of life in conservation action to protect and restore the natural world. Visit Audubon online at www.audubon.org.   

About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and operates 10 manufacturing plants, with another under construction in Mississippi. Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities where it does business and believes in supporting programs with long-term sustainable results. Through its corporate initiatives, manufacturing operations and philanthropy, Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education, the environment and safety. In 2007, Toyota contributed more than $56 million to philanthropic programs in the U.S. For more information on Toyota's commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit http://www.toyota.com/community.