Current Field Projects

The TVA Natural Heritage Project conducts fieldwork aimed at protecting threatened and endangered species and environmentally sensitive areas on public land administered by TVA.

Activities carried out by the project’s staff members include monitoring species populations, educating the public, and managing and maintaining habitats, including caves at TVA-managed sites. They also conduct seasonal nature walks at TVA Natural Areas.

Current species-monitoring projects and their locations are listed here:

Plants
Mountain skullcap monitoring (Scutellaria montana)		Hamilton & Marion counties, Tennessee
Ruth’s golden aster monitoring (Pityopsis ruthii) (picture)		Along the Hiwassee and Ocoee Rivers
Green Pitcher Plant (assist the Nature Conservancy) (Sarracenia oreophile)		Towns County, Georgia

Terrestrial animals
Winter bald eagle survey (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)		Norris Reservoir
Breeding bald eagle survey (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)		Tennessee River Watershed
Gray bats (Myotis grisescens) (picture)		• Caves on TVA-managed lands • Annual gray bat maternity cave survey
Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis)		Tennessee River Watershed

Aquatic animals
Spring pygmy sunfish (Elassoma alabamae)		Limestone County, Alabama