Category Archives: Landfall

A CONSERVANCY CONVERSATION

A CONSERVANCY CONVERSATION

By: Andy Wood, Conservation Ecologist

A young Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) surveys a rainpool inside a Northeast New Hanover Conservancy property in the gated Landfall community. This sharp-eyed bird of prey eats mice, frogs, lizards, snakes, and other small animals. Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephala) were on the hawk’s menu this day.

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“Nature matters to people. Big trees and small trees, glistening water, chirping birds, budding bushes, colorful flowers – these are important ingredients in a good life.”

These words, penned in 1983 by psychologist Rachel Kaplan, underscore a human truth: Nature in its wildness is good for us. This truth extends beyond the physical ecosystem services provided by plants and animals interacting in their habitats; the natural services that clean the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil that grows our food. Yes, it is living organisms (Earth’s biota) that provide the life-support services our own species requires.

If text space allowed, I could launch into a tangent about how the actions of beavers, across North America, came to create some of the best soils a farmer could want. I can also explain, using mathematics and scientific facts, how mosquitoes fit in the great pyramid of life that ultimately sustains human beings; the living, breathing species poised on the pyramid’s tippy-top. These are the easy things for me to explain, ecologically-speaking, in part because they are tangible and physically-measurable benefits from nature.

The more difficult benefits of nature to describe are those not measured in acres of soil created, gallons of water filtered, or pounds of fruit produced. I speak here of what my college professors called “intangible” benefits; what Dr. Kaplan later called “…important ingredients in a good life.”

With thanks due to recent studies conducted by mental health professionals, we now have a better understanding about “intangible benefits” we derive from nature; the positive mental and physical benefits that come from connecting with nature outdoors including solace garnered by way of a quiet walk along a simple path meandering through a natural garden.

Of course in rapidly-urbanizing New Hanover County, NC, we are running short of unfettered natural places for plants and wildlife to dwell and for people to gently explore. Northeast New Hanover Conservancy (NENHC), this region’s longest-operating local land trust, was founded by a concerned group of citizens in 1981 with the simple goal of protecting natural habitats, large or small, and the beneficial ecosystem services they provide. And I can say with confidence that NENHC is protecting some very significant habitats.

At this time NENHC is caretaker for 1,350 acres, including more than 530 acres spread across 30 distinct parcels in and around the gated Landfall community. Our other notable acreages include an 88-acre parcel of coastal saltmarsh behind the north end of Wrightsville Beach, adjacent to Mason Inlet, and another 800 acres of saltmarsh habitat behind the north end of Figure Eight Island, adjacent to Rich Inlet.

For perspective, NENHC monitors and protects more natural habitat inside Landfall, than all the natural habitat areas owned and managed by the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County—combined! When our New Hanover County properties outside of Landfall are added-in, NENHC’s total protected acreage (1,350) is greater than New Hanover County acreage under NC State Park control (1,049).

Admittedly, the bulk of NENHC’s wooded land holdings rest inside Landfall and are only accessible by Landfall residents and guests. With all due respect, ecologically-speaking, whether or not a conservation property is accessible to the public is less important than the meaningful ecosystem services the property provides to everyone; much like other public trust natural resources.

As a not-for-profit land trust holding significant lands unopen to public access, NENHC is excluded from state and federal grants, and most private foundations that could otherwise help support NENHC’s property monitoring, planning, and management efforts. We instead rely on the generosity of individuals, especially people who do have access to our conservation areas, and others who care about habitat protection in general.

To the point about NENHC property access, we are working closely with Landfall managers and residents to develop and implement a trail management plan that will allow fun and safe admittance into some of our ecoregion’s most compelling natural places. While maybe not as glamorous as salamanders, songbirds, or colorful mushrooms, we are improving existing walking trails as an objective to build greater awareness and appreciation of the natural spaces NENHC protects to the benefit of people, plants, and wildlife.

On behalf of nature right outside, I hope you’ll consider making a tax-deductible donation to Northeast New Hanover Conservancy. Your gift will ensure the habitats we protect will continue providing tangible ecosystem services supporting “Big trees and small trees, glistening water, chirping birds, budding bushes, colorful flowers – [the] important ingredients in a good life.”

ANDY WOOD

Community Conservation Consultant

http://nenhc.org/?p=146

Landfall Nature Trail Update

Our nature trails within Landfall have suffered from storm damage over the years.  They were originally designed as walking trails with vegetative mulch used to create a raised and smooth surface.  The climate is causing the wetlands to fill more than normal so that some of the nature trails have some serious damage to the surface. 

A joint effort with Landfall maintenance to add small wooden bridges has been started.  Below is a photo of one of the bridges completed as a trial. 

We looked into an alternate method to improve the trails by adding some bonding agent to the trail soil but it proved to be too destructive to the surrounding environment in our test area so we have abandoned that idea. 

The trails will be enhanced by adding mulch to the surface as previously done and adding wooden bridges to the wet areas.

Landfall Lake

Landfall Lake is a 12 acre impoundment that was constructed as an infrastructure to receive stormwater from upland areas within Landfall. Landfall Lake is now a richly diverse ecosystem that supports several kinds of fishes, frogs, and turtles, along with river otter, mink, and gray fox. The lake and its fringing wetlands also draws thousands of birds representing dozens of species including colorful hummingbirds and neotropical songbirds, migratory ducks, shorebirds, herons and egrets, along with fish-eating Osprey, Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, and other birds of prey.

 

Landfall Lake was designed and built to help collect and filter stormwater from upland areas, before it flows to the Intracoastal Waterway and eventually the Atlantic Ocean. This ecosystem service is a prerequisite for the lake’s management.

 

In conservation easement parlance, the Conservancy holds the protective easement for Landfall Lake (as Grantee). As the Grantor, Landfall owns the Lake and its edge habitat. Because Landfall Lake was established as a stormwater mitigation project, certain restrictions are in place regarding its use and management. As example, the Lake’s water level is established by the US Army Corps of Engineers, along with guidelines for vegetation diversity and abundance. The financial responsibility for maintenance of the Lake and its perimeter is the responsibility of Landfall itself, not the Conservancy.

 

The Conservancy is working to craft a long-range management plan and budget, for Landfall’s consideration. Plan objectives include habitat enhancements using wetland plants to filter water and provide food and shelter for fishes, turtles, and birds, while also increasing the visual appearance of the lake for the benefit of its visitors. The primary goal of this plan however, is ensuring the lake’s ecological condition remains within the guidelines of the conservation easement, as defined by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

 

This work is needed, as many residents have recently expressed, and the Conservancy is ready to move forward with developing a comprehensive habitat restoration and enhancement plan in the interest of creating an attractive and ecologically-functional hallmark Landfall feature.

 

This scale of effort will require financial support to achieve. We’ve pursued grants from various foundations and funding agencies but securing conservation funding from outside sources is highly competitive and not assured, especially for a project that is not accessible to the public.

 

We think the surest way to restore Landfall Lake to an attractive and welcoming condition will be accomplished with input and funding from Landfall community members and Associations that are the Lake’s direct beneficiaries.

 

Financial donations to the Conservancy are tax-deductible because they fund work that contributes to the common well-being of our community; a community that includes people, plants, and wildlife; and the habitats that support us all.

Monarch Butterflies

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A Monarch Butterfly conservation project was implemented at Landfall Lake, with a generous donation from a Lake neighbor. The project involved planting more than 6,000 wildflowers, including 1,500 Scarlet Milkweed, Asclepius curassavica, seen below with a monarch butterfly and Ruby-throated Hummingbird feasting on flower nectar.

We had tremendous support from Landfall residents and it was not only an educational event but a fun one too.

Land Management and Aquisitions

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The Conservancy is negotiating a land acquisition to protect a 39-acre tract of undeveloped property inside the Landfall community. The parcel raises the Conservancy’s total protected habitat area inside Landfall to more than 400 acres.

We have retained the services of Andy Wood, through his company,  ANDY WOOD & ASSOCIATES, LLC, to provide environmental assessments on our current properties, recommend habitat management strategies, and conduct a variety of other tasks as deemed necessary for the benefit of the Conservancy and the properties it oversees.  Property assessments are very detailed and follow a plan that meets accreditation guidelines.  Andy and his team have found and documented some wonderful plants and animals on our properties and easements.  His work will continue until all of our parcels are documented.  These reports will serve as a baseline for future comparisons to monitor deterioration or any possible contamination.

At least twelve species of amphibians (salamanders and frogs) were observed in and around ponds located within Conservancy properties. The Amphibians, valuable indicators of environmental quality, include two-toed Amphiuma (a large eel-like aquatic salamander in Landfall Lake) broken-striped newt, slimy salamander, and two-lined salamander. Observed frogs include southern toad, southern cricket frog, spring peeper, pine woods tree frog, gray tree frog, squirrel tree frog, green tree frog, bullfrog, green frog, southern leopard frog, and narrowmouth frog. More work is needed to confirm additional expected species.

To date, more than 120 species of birds are known to use Conservancy properties during all or part of their life cycle. This number will likely grow as more data is collected, and birders are invited to provide us with their avian and other observations.

leaves

Red bay trees, Persea borbonia, the namesake of egg-shaped landscape depressions known as Carolina bays, are dying throughout the southern US, including within Conservancy properties. The die-off is due to a fungal infection transmitted to the tree by a tiny Asian beetle introduced to North America by way of shipping pallets. There is no cure or treatment and at this time we can only monitor the tree decline and hope some specimens are able to resist the blight.

These habitat surveys of the Conservancy’s conservation easement properties have been very productive. The studies are being conducted to collect baseline information about the habitats themselves, including their overall condition and ecosystem services they provide to southeastern North Carolina. They are an ecoregion that contains a rich assortment of habitats supporting a diverse array of plants and wildlife, which in turn enrich the lives of people who inhabit and visit this special place.

The Northeast New Hanover Conservancy stewards 1,500 acres of diverse habitats, including some of the best remaining examples of southeastern North Carolina’s ecosystems. And the great wonder of it all is the fact that these acres are located in and around the residential areas where we live. It may be safe to say that these protected places are some of the best-kept secrets in our community.

storm-debris

But as “best-kept secrets” these places are easy to overlook and take for granted. While the properties may be protected from development, they are vulnerable to neglect that can lead to diminished value. Wild places, especially small parcel habitats within residential neighborhoods can languish if not properly managed in keeping with their natural form. An example of this is best seen in the 39 acre tract being negotiated for trade. While I can extoll the property’s many natural virtues, I must couch my words with understanding that the property needs some tending; clearing vegetative storm debris from trails and removing invasive exotic trees (notably Chinese tallow) as examples.

 

Managing this and other Conservancy properties is not all work and no play however. These places can be augmented with interpretive signage that introduces visitors to the habitats they stroll through. And most sites offer opportunity for volunteer science projects including nest box installations to help cavity-nesting songbirds, owls, and flying squirrels. Additional projects involving pond turtles, painted buntings, and other species and their habitats are ready to implement, along with conservation education programs for groups and individuals; just as soon as we have the financial resources to make them possible.

While this may sound like a shameless pitch for money, it is intended as a transparent request to support the Northeast New Hanover Conservancy’s efforts to steward its compelling natural areas; the greenspace oases that enrich our lives, right outside our doors.

Great Blue Heron wade-fishing in Landfall Lake

Financial donations to the Conservancy are tax-deductible because they fund work that contributes to the common well-being of our community; a community that includes people, plants, and wildlife; and the habitats that support us all.

Two-lined Salamander in Landfall Preserve

The Two-lined Salamander is a widespread species, but jeopardized by silty water and forest alteration. Landfall’s protected wooded wetlands are this animal’s oases, where they hide and forage among leaves and logs in and around streams and seepages. Tiny insects, mites, and worms are preferred prey. In turn, these amphibians are food for birds, small mammals (and bears), and some snakes. Though small in size, as predator and prey, salamanders move lots of energy through the ecosystem.
Two-lined salamander, Eurycea cirrigera
This is an adult male, about three and a half inches long. It was found 24 October 2016, in the Bedminster Conservation Area. The little nubbins under its nostrils are called cirri; their function is not fully understood, but likely play a role in courtship.

Land Donation

The Conservancy owned .151 acres around the Landfall administration and maintenance office.  The maintenance department is in need of more space so we negotiated a land trade.  This trade takes the small piece we own around the building and gives it to Landfall.  In trade, a 39.91 acre tract is given to us!

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This piece (blue highlight) connects with another NENHC easement area and this addition will create a compelling greenway for hiking and nature viewing.  The easement area is currently owned by Landfall and it includes a network of nature trails that are in need of some maintenance, mostly involving debris removal following last winter’s ice storms.

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The property contains a variety of distinct habitats including patches of mixed pine and hardwood forest blended with an intact patch of swamp dominated by water tupelo. In spite of abundant rain in 2014, the ponds and swamp area are not flooded at this time.  The site’s sinkhole-like pocket ponds are a rare feature in this region, and while most are dry during much of the year, they are likely important habitats for frogs, spotted turtles and songbirds.

Though most of the forest trees are in the 80-120 year age-range, many examples of older-growth trees provide evidence of this site’s past history as a rich and diverse wetland environment.

Conservation Education

Building awareness about the Conservancy’s easement areas is an objective to meet our goal of protecting the areas we steward. Last spring the Conservancy and Landfall jointly sponsored a guided trek around the Landfall Lake Conservation Area.

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More than two dozen Landfall residents and guests joined the tour, led by Andy Wood, with birding help from wildlife biologists Carson Wood and James Abbott. Steve Hughes, Landfall Operations Manager, also joined the hike and provided valuable background information about Landfall Lake, including its function-driven design to become a naturalized waterbody. Wading birds, several ducks, and numerous pond turtles provided fun highlights during the visit, which was intended to develop greater understanding about the lake’s habitats and the diverse plants and wildlife they support; while also providing stormwater filtration before discharging into the Intracoastal Waterway. More programs like this are being planned for 2015, including guided treks into other fascinating Conservancy properties.