Artist: Anna Norton

Project: On Nochaway

Description: For generations, Anna Norton’s family has owned two hundred fifty acres of woodlands near Ichawaynochaway Creek in Baker County, Georgia. After years of farming and mismanagement damaged the land, the family is restoring the ecosystem by conducting controlled burns and reintroducing native plant species like the longleaf pine, a “stalwart and slow-growing” keystone species endemic to the Southeast.

In her series, On Nochaway, Norton documents this process and its beneficial outcomes, tracing the transformation in scenes of smoke-filled glades and close-ups of insects and mosses. Grounded and hopeful, the project takes an unfiltered approach to conservation and reminds viewers that while a great deal can change over the course of a season or calendar year, reversing a system of degradation takes time.

Eyes on the South&\#xA0;is curated by&\#xA0;Jeff Rich. The weekly series features selections of current work from Southern artists, or artists whose photography concerns the South. To submit your work to the series, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..