CLARKSVILLE, TN − “The Prairie Preacher,” a PBS Appalachia Virginia documentary produced in partnership with the Southeastern Grasslands Institute at Austin Peay State University, recently won an Emmy Award at the 2025 Emmys National Capital Region awards.
The 27-minute film features Dr. Dwayne Estes, a botanist who earned his nickname for his passionate advocacy of grassland conservation. Once a child who found solace in nature, Estes now dedicates his life to saving America’s most endangered ecosystem — southeastern grasslands. Through the Southeastern Grasslands Institute (SGI), he works tirelessly to protect and restore these vital landscapes.
Also appearing in the documentary is SGI’s Central Appalachian Grasslands Coordinator/Ecologist Alaina Krakowiak, who is based out of Roanoke, Virginia. Krakowiak speaks about the importance of protecting and restoring small, remnant grasslands, such as Orchard Knob in Chattanooga, Tennessee…