Our 2026 Speakers

Dwayne Estes serves as executive director at Southeastern Grasslands Institute. In 2016, he co-founded SGI with Theo Witsell. Under his leadership, they have raised $46 million. He has been active in building diverse support for Southeastern US grasslands conservation, from national to local levels, and across the Southeast, he is often called the “Prairie Preacher.” PBS Appalachia, Virginia, won an Emmy for Best Documentary titled “The Prairie Preacher,” highlighting SGI’s work. He works with the Volgenau Climate Initiative as chair of the America’s Grasslands Coalition. Dwayne’s research interests include the biodiversity, ecology, history, and biogeography of the Southeastern U.S., with emphasis on grasslands and open woodlands.