We in the Sandhills are fortunate enough to have a rich avifauna. Many of us appreciate this wonderful diversity but may not know that it is the variety of habitats of the longleaf pine ecosystem that makes it possible. Not surprisingly, as the popularity of the Sandhills has grown, the increasing changes in land use are threatening this ecosystem, causing habitat loss and fragmentation. But thanks to a group of organizations who joined forces back in 2000, large sections of the longleaf pine ecosystem are now permanently conserved. As a result of the hard work of the North Carolina Sandhills Conservation Partnership, we can be confident that the wonderful variety of birds and other animals that depend on this unique ecosystem for their survival will be with us for generations to come.
The North Carolina Sandhills Conservation Partnership (NCSCP) is holding a public event to celebrate its 10th anniversary on Saturday, Sept. 11, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve. There will be educational displays, including equipment used to conduct prescribed fires, presentations on the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, bat ecology, and the longleaf pine ecosystem as well as guided nature walks.
This partnership was formed in 2000 to promote a collaborative approach to conservation among federal, state and nonprofit conservation groups. The core partners include the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, N.C. Division of Forest Services, N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, Sandhills Area Land Trust, Sandhills Ecological Institute, The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Army Fort Bragg, U.S. Army Environmental Command, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Its mission is to work with public and private landowners to conserve and manage the plants and animals of the vanishing longleaf pine ecosystem and to recover the red-cockaded woodpecker in the North Carolina Sandhills. Over the past decade this innovative, cooperative venture has yielded significant contributions to the conservation and management of these unique natural resources, including the recovery of two endangered red-cockaded woodpecker populations, the conservation of over 15,000 acres, and the creation of the Carvers Creek State Park in Cumberland County. The majority of these conservation lands are available to the public for outdoor recreational uses such as hiking, bird watching, hunting, and fishing.
There is ongoing research and survey work on partnership lands. Not only is there continuing monitoring of red-cockaded woodpeckers (this is year 30!), but tagged endangered pine snakes are being followed on the Sandhills Game Land to understand their movements and habitat requirements. Migration banding occurs each spring and fall at Weymouth Woods to learn more about the birds that use James Creek as a migratory corridor. And the population of ruby-throated hummingbirds at Weymouth is studied each summer in order to study individual variation and monitor breeding success. These and other projects conducted by NCSCP partners provide important information to ensure informed local land use decisions and enhance life for all Sandhills residents. For more information visit ncscp.org. PS
Susan would love to receive your wildlife sightings and photos. She can be contacted by e-mail at susan@ncaves.com, by phone at (910) 949-3207 or by mail at 144 Pine Ridge Drive, Whispering Pines, NC 28327.
