Field Guide Leads to Conservation Passion

From TLC News, May 2007

Richard Broadwell credits his maternal grandmother with helping instill his lifelong interest in the outdoors and conservation.  “I was very fortunate that my parents and grandparents were interested in nature and conservation,” the Fayetteville native recalls. 

“My grandmother was a birder and wildflower enthusiast.  She gave me a Peterson field guide when I was 8 years old and with that in hand I had my first sightings of different species of woodpeckers.  That made a huge impression on me.”

Richard pursued his interest in conservation as an undergraduate at UNC-Chapel Hill, where he received a B.S. in Biology.  After graduation, he held a variety of positions with conservation agencies and explored the diverse landscapes and environmental issues of the Southeast.  He worked as a seasonal ecologist for The Nature Conservancy's N.C. Chapter in the mountains and the coastal plain, studied Lepidoptera (moth and butterfly) species for the U.S. Forest Service and worked on land management projects for the N.C. Coastal Land Trust.  Building on his diverse experiences, he received a double Masters in Environmental Management and Forest Management at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University in 2000.

After graduation, Richard helped the Sandhills Area Land Trust establish a satellite office in Cumberland County.  His time at Duke had introduced him to the Duke Forest, the 7,000-acre teaching and research forest established by the University and used extensively by the Nicholas School.  From 2001 to 2006, Richard worked at Duke Forest, helping with a variety of programs, including digitizing much of the Forest’s data, managing databases using GIS and GPS, redesigning the Forest’s website and organizing educational workshops and donor events. 

Richard began working at TLC in March 2007 and is delighted to be a member of the conservation strategies team.   Much of his land protection work is focused on the Upper Neuse River Basin.  “We’re accepting donations of conservation easements, purchasing easements and making outright land purchases to conserve land along the tributaries of the Neuse,” he explains. 

“The population in the Basin is expected to nearly double by 2030 so we’re concerned about the long-term viability of our drinking water reservoirs.  One of the most cost-effective ways to preserve water quality is to preserve the lands that feed the watershed, which is what we're focusing on in the Upper Neuse.  The Little River is still relatively undeveloped in northern Durham and Orange counties and we have plans to work on more acquisition along this waterway."

In addition to his deep-rooted affection for North Carolina’s diverse landscapes, Richard enjoys his interactions with landowners.  “One of the most satisfying parts of my work is interacting with landowners who have a connection to their property and who are looking for ways to protect what they love about their land,” he says. 

When he’s not working on TLC projects, Richard enjoys traveling, hiking, kayaking and gardening.  Oh, and what's his favorite bird?  The melodic wood thrush.

Back