Mike Zang, ALC’s new Conservation Coordinator, comes to us by way of Tallahassee, FL where he spent the last decade working in conservation and land management while earning Master’s and Doctorate degrees in urban and regional planning at Florida State University (FSU). He spent three years with the Nature Conservancy as an ecological restorationist at the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve (ABRP), followed by a year managing an organic farm in an “agrihood” community and six months working on conservation easements with Tall Timbers Land Conservancy.
In the Fall of 2018, Mike began graduate coursework at FSU, specializing in environmental planning, and continued as a PhD student until the summer of 2025. His dissertation focused on the Urban Ecology Center (UEC) in Milwaukee, WI, examining the impact of grassroots ecological planning in cities and, specifically, the role that community building and experiential education play in shaping urban sustainability and local neighborhood planning efforts. Applying his planning background to ALC, Mike believes thoughtful urban form and development are inseparable and complementary to land conservation.
Since joining ALC in February, Mike has created a series of countywide maps that illustrate ALC’s entire portfolio of conservation projects and highlight the organization’s four Strategic Focal Areas. Out of this mapping work, he has been integral in recent landowner outreach within ALC’s Savannah River corridor and the 302/78 corridor. Mike currently leads four easement projects in Aiken County and has helped initiate two additional projects along the South and North Forks of the Edisto River. He looks forward to completing a full batch of conservation easements over the next few months, connecting more landowners with ALC and our mission and exploring more of Aiken County.