❋
Paint Rock Research Center
Community-engaged Profile
❋My Connection to Paint Rock
I have been involved with Paint Rock Research Center since its early development as an independent nonprofit focused on biodiversity research and resilience in a changing world. Since 2017, I have participated in conversations about the center’s vision and growth, and I now serve on its Science Advisory Council.
Paint Rock operates independently but has built strong partnerships with universities and research organizations across Alabama and nationally (Paint Rock Research Center; Smithsonian ForestGEO). These collaborations support long-term biodiversity research while creating opportunities to train the next generation of scientists (Lemke et al., 2026).
With a strong scientific network already in place, the next step is strengthening connections with the communities surrounding Paint Rock. My project builds on this opportunity by exploring ways to create meaningful, two-way relationships between scientists and community members and, ultimately, strengthen trust in and support for science.
A gentle pause from the pace of everyday life. The Reset Retreat in the Yucca Valley is designed to help you slow down, reconnect, and return to yourself—through guided experiences, restorative space, and time to simply be.
❋ Our Community/Who Paint Rock Serves
Paint Rock Research Center brings together scientists, university researchers, students, conservation organizations, artists, and other collaborators to study the extraordinary biodiversity of Paint Rock Valley. Through partnerships with universities and conservation organizations, the center supports research, education, training, workshops, and opportunities for the next generation of scientists (Paint Rock Research Center, n.d.).
An equally important audience is the community that surrounds Paint Rock. Because Paint Rock is a private research facility rather than a public institution, local residents have not traditionally been “users” in the same way as researchers and students. Building stronger connections with these communities represents an important opportunity for the center.
❋ The Paint Rock Community
For this project, our community includes residents of Paint Rock Valley and the surrounding rural communities of Jackson County.
The Paint Rock Census County Division has approximately 3,500 residents spread across nearly 100 square miles. The population is approximately 94% White, with a median age of about 45 and a median household income of approximately $51,000. About 19% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024).
Looking more broadly, Jackson County includes more than 54,000 residents. This larger population represents an important potential audience for Paint Rock’s research, education, and community-engagement activities (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024).
❋ Connecting Science, People, and Place
Paint Rock has already developed a strong network connecting scientists, universities, students, and conservation organizations. The next opportunity is strengthening connections between this scientific community and the people who live in and around Paint Rock Valley.
Community engagement provides a way to make that relationship reciprocal. Rather than simply communicating scientific information to local residents, Paint Rock can listen to community priorities, learn from local knowledge, and identify opportunities for scientists and residents to work together.
My community-engaged project focuses on helping Paint Rock develop a framework for building these relationships. The goal is not simply greater public outreach, but meaningful, long-term partnerships that connect the biodiversity and science of Paint Rock with the people and communities of the region.
Reconnect with your body and mind as you escape the noise of everyday life.