GROWING TOWARD THE FUTURE
Wildlife Group ’ s Expertise : A Gift to AHERO Farm and Warrior Lodge Project
A conversation between AHERO ’ s assistant editor , Lynn Feehan , and Allen Deese , Sales & Nursery Manager at The Wildlife Group of Tuskegee , Alabama
Wildlife-Group-Hombres .
LF : At AHERO , we have been excited to learn more about your organization , The Wildlife Group , and how it ’ s become involved with AHERO Farm . Can I start by asking how long your nursery has been focused on sustaining natural environments and enhancing wildlife ?
AD : We have been doing this work as The Wildlife Group for over 20 years . We provide trees and plants for wildlife habitat improvement as well as hardwood and wetland reforestation . The founder , Wayne Bassett , who is one of the owners , saw a need for a wildlife habitat nursery for both commercial and private customers . Wayne and his brother , Jimmy Bassett , created the Group to fill this void . To our knowledge , there was no other business like this in the Southeast .
LF : How is The Wildlife Group different from other nurseries ?
AD : Nurseries have been everywhere , of course , but none have been focused solely on growing trees and plants for habitat improvement . We specialize in specific oak trees , chestnuts , and fruit to help our customers create ideal wildlife habitats .
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LF : What type of services does this include ?
AD : They can range from helping private landowners create and enhance wildlife habitat improvement projects on their land to government-bid mitigation and reforestation projects . We also work with individuals on smaller strategic plantings of fruit trees to attract and feed wildlife in core locations within their properties .
LF : The public is becoming more aware of the need for land management and the valuing of wildlife habitat . Is there someone you ’ d like to mention who has been particularly instrumental in The Wildlife Group ’ s success ?
AD : So many employees thru the years have done a great deal for our company . But from the very beginning , Eddie Stinson has been an integral part of the nursery . He ’ s got a contagious smile and a generosity to match . We would not be where we are today without him . We ’ ve also had excellent continuous help from our parent company Becks Turf and their employees . And there ’ s Erasmo Cantu , who handles shipping for us . Without him , we could not make it through the shipping season . I also need to mention my office support crew , Kandis Mills and Jackie Yarbrough . These ladies are the glue that holds it all together .