Principal Investigator — J. Whitfield (Whit) Gibbons, Professor Emeritus of Ecology, University of Georgia and Senior Research Ecologist Emeritus, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL); Adjunct Research Professor, University of South Carolina-Aiken.
Whit is a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association and is author or editor of 25 books on conservation and the environment. As a professor of ecology at the University of Georgia he has published more than 250 articles in scientific journals. Whit has had environmental commentaries on National Public Radio and written more than 1,000 popular articles published in magazines and newspapers, including a weekly environmental column (Ecoviews) for more than 40 years.
Whit has conducted numerous field surveys and biodiversity assessments of southeastern herpetofauna and is experienced with herpetological field techniques He is familiar with the Salleyland field site and the reptiles and amphibians that are known or likely to be present. He is currently involved in using the site as a focus for public education about environmental issues, including regional reptiles and amphibians. Photographs for the website were generously contributed by numerous individuals, including Steve Bennett, John Byrd, Zach Dorcas, Allison Gibbons, Jennifer Gibbons, Mike Gibbons, Parker Gibbons, Jennifer High, Tom Luhring, Chance Ruder, and J. D. Willson.
