Garden & Gun Announces Its 2024 Champions of Conservation

Initiative honors ten change-makers, advocates, and unsung scientists responsible for championing a more sustainable South

CHARLESTON, S.C., Sept. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Garden & Gun, in partnership with Explore Asheville, reveals this year’s Champions of Conservation in the October/November 2024 issue, on newsstands Sept. 19. Entering its third year, Garden & Gun‘s Champions of Conservation initiative spotlights ten leaders and innovators in sustainability whose groundbreaking work and environmental projects to protect Southern ecosystems are making waves across the globe.

“At G&G, conservation has been at the core of our editorial mission from the beginning,” says David DiBenedetto, Senior Vice President and Editor-in-Chief. “Our deep appreciation for the South has always been tied to the land, and we’re proud to support the remarkable efforts of those working to preserve and protect it. We can only hope this coverage spreads awareness and inspires others.”

The editorial team at Garden & Gun assembled a panel of five conservation experts who spent months rigorously researching and offering perspective in the selection of this year’s Champions. The 2024 Champions of Conservation panelists include JJ Apodaca, Executive director of the Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy in Asheville, N.C. and a 2023 Garden & Gun Champion; Benny Blanco, a 2022 Garden & Gun Champion and advocate for conservation at the policymaking level, acting as an ambassador for such groups as Captains for Clean Water and the Everglades Foundation; Hilary Hutcheson, a Montana-based outfitter, fly-fishing guide, fly-shop owner, and brand ambassador for such names as Yeti, Patagonia, and Orvis, advocating for threatened waterways; Julie Moore, a 2023 Garden & Gun Champion and Carolina botanist protecting the South’s iconic insectivorous plants; and Bill Palmer, president and CEO of Tall Timbers in Tallahassee, Fla., fostering exemplary land stewardship through research, conservation and education in the Red Hills region.

To honor the newest class of Champions, Garden & Gun and Explore Asheville invite guests to Hickory Nut Gap Farm outside of Asheville, N.C., for a cocktail reception and thought-provoking conversation hosted by G&G editor in chief David DiBenedetto. Cocktails & Conservation will take place on Wednesday, September 25 at 6:00 p.m.

“We are thrilled to partner with Garden & Gun to bring Champions of Conservation back to Asheville, as this initiative deeply aligns with our community’s values and rising influence as a hub for climate science and sustainable business,” said Vic Isley, president and CEO of Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. “The event serves as a great lead-in to Land to Market’s Covering Ground conference the next day, where global brands focused on regenerative farming and sustainable supply chains will share innovative practices for a sustainable future.”

Learn more about the 2024 Champions of Conservation in the October/November issue of Garden & Gun on newsstands, and online at www.gardenandgun.com.

2024 CHAMPIONS OF CONSERVATION

• Kyle Lybarger of the Native Habitat Project (Hartselle, Ala.): Native plants and grasses go viral in the hands of a social-media-savvy Alabama forester.
• Jimmy Bullock of RMS Timber Company (Birmingham, Ala.): A Mississippi forester forges a blueprint for how private timberland owners can save threatened Southern species.
• Bernie Kuhajda of the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute (Chattanooga, Tenn.): From sun-brightened streams to dark, dank caves, an ichthy-obsessed biologist tenaciously protects the South’s aquatic animals.
• Becky Griffin of the Southeast Pollinator Census (Perry, Ga.): One entomologist’s buzzy idea inspires an army of citizen scientists.
• Kelly Holdbrooks of the Southern Highlands Reserve and Southern Appalachian Spruce Restoration Initiative (Lake Toxaway, N.C.): Consider this advocate the Johnny Appleseed of one of the South’s most endangered trees.
• Lauren D. Pharr and Murry Burgess of Field Inclusive (Raleigh, N.C. and Starkville, Miss.): After experiencing unease in the field, two scientists start a nonprofit to help other historically marginalized or excluded nature lovers.
• Beatriz Chachamovits (Miami, Fla.): A ceramist and educator’s interactive coral reefs put the dire straits of Florida’s waters into relief.
• Devon Parfait of the Environmental Defense Fund and Mississippi River Delta Coalition (Marrero, La.): A coastal scientist and the young new chief of the Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw on a mission to preserve disappearing tribal lands.
• Tony Friedrich of the American Saltwater Guides Association (Kent Narrows, Md.): Harnessing passion for the ocean’s fisheries into powerful action is all in a day’s work for this Chesapeake guide.
• Cowper Chadbourn and Debbie Doss of the Arkansas Watertrails Partnership (Conway, Ark.): A married duo help keep Arkansas rivers and streams flowing free and clear.

About Garden & Gun

Garden & Gun is a multiplatform media company that celebrates stories of the American South through powerful journalism, bold photography, exquisite design, and finely curated retail and experiential journeys. The brand is anchored by its award-winning national magazine launched in 2007, Garden & Gun, which reports on the South’s sporting culture, food, music, art, literature, and its people and their ideas. The coveted audience of 1.6 million is further engaged through numerous New York Times best-selling books, Fieldshop by Garden & Gun retail experience, the Garden & Gun Club restaurants, and 75+ events each year. Visit gardenandgun.com.

About Explore Asheville

Asheville is where unrivaled natural beauty and bold creative expression meet. The colorful Blue Ridge Mountain city is steps away from the world’s most biodiverse forests and the tallest peaks in the East. For generations, Asheville has nurtured and inspired a compassionate community that’s deeply rooted and ever evolving – just like the ancient French Broad River that runs through it. It’s an anchor destination for two of the most visited National Park Service units in the United States – the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. For the most up-to-date happenings and travel ideas, visit ExploreAsheville.com.

Media Contact:

Ashley Mills

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908.803.2604

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