CATAWBA LANDS CONSERVANCY & CAROLINA THREAD TRAIL
Winter 2015 NEWSLETTER
OF MONARCHS AND MILKWEED CLC AIMS TO HELP THE REGAL BUTTERFLY BOUNCE BACK FROM SEVERE DECLINES By PAGE LEGGETT This photo is courtesy of volunteer Laura Domingo, who shot it on location at Buffalo Creek Preserve on the day CLC volunteers helped restore monarch habitat.
The monarch butterfly is in trouble. And that means our ecosystem is in trouble. The distinctive orange and black butterfly isn’t on the endangered species list. Yet. But the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing a petition to have it added to the list. There’s a strong case for adding them; the monarch population in the United States has been reduced by 90 percent in the last 20 years. Every autumn, monarchs make one of nature’s most amazing journeys. Some travel up to 3,000 miles on their migration south to Mexico where they roost for the winter. The already arduous journey has been made harder because of deforestation, illegal logging, forest fires and other perils along the path. Some of the trouble was caused innocently. Sean Bloom, Catawba Lands Conservancy’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) director and biologist, said the use of pesticides in current U.S. agricultural practices is partially to blame for the butterfly’s decline. The pesticides are needed to kill weeds, but they also kill the thing that’s essential to monarchs: milkweed (which isn’t really a weed). While the adult monarch will take nectar from many plants, it’s picky about where it lays its eggs. Only milkweed will do. Pesticides aren’t all bad, Sean added. Even CLC uses them – sparingly. “Roundup isn’t itself a problem. The overuse of Roundup is. We’ve got to find a balance.” But America isn’t the only problem for monarchs. Their turf in Mexico has shriveled. It reached a peak of 52 acres in 1996-97 but by 2013 had dwindled to
just 1.7 acres, due mostly to logging. “People used to talk about seeing a darkening sky when the monarchs migrated,” Sean said. “There were that many of them. And tree limbs would break from the weight of the butterflies.”
Giving monarchs a chance
CLC recently beefed up the presence of milkweed at two of its preserves – Buffalo Creek in Mt. Pleasant and Seven Oaks in Belmont. The N.C. Botanical Garden propagated the plants and donated them to CLC thanks to funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. On Oct. 12 and 13, two groups of volunteers came out to plant. Escar Crisostomo, a UNC Charlotte junior majoring in biology, was among volunteers. The event aligned with what he’s studying, but even he didn’t know how dire the monarchs’ situation is. Volunteer Steve Goudy of Fort Mill, S.C., was likewise unaware of the monarchs’ plight. “People need to know how close the monarchs are to being on the endangered list,” he said. Tal Jacobs, another volunteer, is familiar with the monarchs’ predicament: “As an undergraduate, I led a student environmental group that [removed] invasive species on our campus trail. On one tract of land where we spent three years removing autumn olive and garlic mustard, a great surprise awaited on the third spring. Milkweed had grown back in the place of the invasives and was hosting monarch larvae.” Tal saw several monarchs while planting at Buffalo Creek, “Monarch butterflies, like all species, don’t
simply need habitat, but the right habitat,” he said. Volunteer Laura Domingo, a naturalist at Reedy Creek Nature Center, said, “Planting milkweed … is such a simple gesture with potentially huge impacts.”
HOW YOU CAN HELP There are over 100 species of milkweed. The most important thing you can do for monarchs is to plant the right kind of milkweed for your region.
THREE RECOMMENDED VARIETIES: Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
A favorite of monarchs and what CLC planted. It grows quickly so give it plenty of room in the garden. Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnate)
It blooms in early to mid-summer and prefers damp soil and full sun to partial shade. Orange Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Sometimes called butterfly weed (not to be confused with butterfly bush), orange milkweed requires full sun.
Learn more at catawbalands.org/monarchs Photos by Evan Raskin and Arleigh Birchler
From the
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR It’s easy to judge our progress solely by numbers like dollars, acres and trail miles. But these numbers only tell part of our story. This fall we protected a 10-acre property in Gaston County, which may seem small, but as you’ll read below, those 10 acres will have a significant impact on a broader conservation area. Even if we never preserve another acre, our organization has an enormous,
properties that will help the monarch butterfly recover. This is just one of many stewardship projects that take place behind the scenes. I’m proud to say that our stewardship practices are considered to be at a very
permanent responsibility to monitor and protect the 15,000 acres we’ve already conserved – land that will only become more important and more fragile as most of the surrounding areas are developed. Our stewardship efforts are our most important activity. Our staff and dedicated volunteers spend thousands of hours every year ensuring that the conservation values (wildlife habitat, water quality, open space, farmland) of the land we preserve is intact. We also strive to improve our conserved lands in ways that benefit wildlife and water quality. The cover story shows how we’re creating habitat at two
high level and this was one of the primary reasons that Catawba Lands Conservancy was among the first land trusts in the country to be accredited by the Land Trust Association. So I hope you’ll take pride in knowing that your support helps us not only conserve more land, but also enables us to care for that land in the best way possible. Sincerely,
Tom Okel Executive Director, Catawba Lands Conservancy and Carolina Thread Trail
BIGLEAF PRESERVE PURCHASE PROTECTING MORE THAN LAND SMALL PURCHASE EQUALS BIG RESULTS
BY KATHLEEN E. CONROY
Rare bigleaf magnolias, a species worthy of protection, will be preserved with Catawba Lands Conservancy’s recent acquisition in Gaston County. In September, CLC purchased a 10-acre parcel of land, and although Bigleaf magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla). Photo by Nancy Pierce small, the land plays a large role in a significant conservation area. In fact, Bigleaf Preserve sits in the middle of 1,200 acres of land protected by CLC. “This property, with a very desirable location overlooking the South Fork Catawba River, was the last inholding inside one of our largest contiguous conservation areas,” says Sean Bloom, GIS Director and Biologist with CLC. “Saving this land was critical because it ensures development cannot disturb this ecologically rich and important region.” Situated on the western edge of Mount Holly, N.C., the property is characterized by rolling terrain with a ridge flanked by two deep valleys draining towards the South Fork Catawba River. The name of the property relates to the abundance of bigleaf magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla) found onsite. This tree, boasting the largest simple leaf and single flower of any native plant in North America, is listed by North Carolina as threatened. “This area is special because it encompasses the largest concentration of bigleaf magnolia in N.C.,” explains Sharon Wilson, CLC’s land stewardship director. Due to the prevalence of rare plants and high-quality natural communities, Bigleaf Preserve has been identified as a significant natural area by the N.C. Natural Heritage Program. It also protects water quality. A tributary crosses the property and ultimately drains into the South Fork Catawba River, a water supply watershed, says Sharon. A view of Spencer Mountain from Bigleaf Preserve. Photo by Andy Kane
TASTE FOR THE LAND
RAISES $68,000 Catawba Corps’ Fourth Annual Taste for the Land on Oct. 23 raised $68,000 in sponsorships and new memberships! More than 380 Conservancy members, sponsors and friends enjoyed seasonal hors d’oeuvres, local craft beer from Unknown Brewery and Olde Mecklenburg Brewery and music from Dead Man’s Banjo. Poplar Ridge Farm, Rowland’s Row Family Farm and Riverbend Farm filled our onsite market with pumpkins, carrots, peppers and other harvest-fresh produce for guests to enjoy at home.
Photos by Charlene Elizabeth
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FIELD NOTES
to having this much nature available.” The new trail has been named the Forney Creek Trail - Kathryn G. Clark segment to honor the mother of the donating landowners: David, Walter, Allison and Caroline Clark.
Bridge and Trail Open at Sally’s Y Not many YMCAs have some 200 acres of protected forest just outside their doors like Sally’s Y in eastern Lincoln County. And now a new suspension bridge crossing Forney Creek and a new segment of the Carolina Thread Trail have opened to offer even more outdoor play options to day campers and kids who attend the Y’s after-school programs. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Nov. 5 to open the 66-foot-long bridge and 1-mile trail, located on land protected by Catawba Lands Conservancy. “We take our kids out here all the time and they love it,” said Kevin Campbell, youth programs coordinator at Sally’s Y. “There’s a unique energy
Khakis for their support.
Thread Trail Welcomes Eight Trail Masters Congratulations to the eight new volunteer Trail Masters, who were recently certified in sustainable trail design and construction. Trail Masters lead volunteer workdays and commit 40 volunteer hours a year to Thread Trail building and maintenance. Benjamin McGuire Mike Moore Whit Strunk Lisa McCarter
AT Hiker Inspires at “Fall into the Thread” Jennifer Pharr Davis, former Appalachian Trail thru-hike record holder, captivated the crowd at the Thread Trail’s third annual “Fall into the Thread” on Oct. 8. The North Carolina native revealed that her love for wandering “came from hiking with my grandmother on her land in Cabarrus County.” In recounting her experience breaking the AT record in 2011 (hiking it in just 46 days) she shared, “I always thought nature was beautiful, but had never considered myself a part of all that beauty until I walked the trail.” Read more about Jennifer’s AT adventures in her novel “Becoming Odyssa: Adventures on the Appalachian Trail.” Thank you to Jesse Brown’s, Lenny Boy Brewing, Whole Foods Market, Eno and Mountain
Natalie Jackson Billy Sellers Julia James Colleen Simmons
You already like nature! So follow CLC and the Thread Trail on Instagram for fun photos from the field.
@catawbalands @threadtrail
A GRATEFUL GOODBYE
THREE VISIONARIES WHO SHAPED THE CAROLINA THREAD TRAIL RETIRE FROM THE BOARD trail system. She lives right across the street from one segment of it and uses it daily. She credits the Thread Trail staff with designing a trail that worked for each county and municipality. “We really met people where they live,” she said. “We didn’t come across as ‘the great state of Mecklenburg.’” Like Ruth, Bernie Ackerman has been with the Thread Trail since the beginning. He said the
Photo by Todd Hess
Three original Carolina Thread Trail board members will retire from the board at the end of the year. Ruth Shaw, Bernie Ackerman and Philip Blumenthal have left an indelible mark on the Trail since they became founding board members in 2007. Catawba Lands Conservancy Executive Director Tom Okel said the trio brought leadership, fundraising prowess and a love of nature to the board. “Their initial leadership was critical,” Tom said. “Philip, Bernie and Ruth all helped get buy-in for the vision, but each came at it from a different angle.” Tom calls Ruth Shaw, Ph.D., former president and CEO of Duke Power Company, “a force of nature and a visionary who saw the importance of building a regional coalition.” Ruth, founding chair of the Thread Trail board, took a long-range view, Tom said. “She understands the importance of kids getting away from electronics and out in nature – and the responsibility we have to ensure there’s plenty of nature left for them to enjoy.” Ruth knew the Thread Trail was a legacy project. “With a planned 1,500 miles, the Trail won’t be completed in my lifetime,” she said. “But I’m happy it’s become a reality in my lifetime.” “There were so many unknowns,” she recalled of the early days. “We had no idea in the beginning the challenges – or the successes – that lay ahead.” “It struck me at the time that the Trail needed a voice,” she said. “I was about to retire from Duke, and this seemed a perfect way to use some of the social capital I hoped I’d built.” The initial funding Ruth and the original board helped secure was critical to building a foundation and credibility. The Knight Foundation, Foundation For The Carolinas, Duke Energy, Bank of America and Wells Fargo (then Wachovia) were all early supporters. Ruth sees first-hand the benefits of a regional
Left to right: Philip Blumenthal, Ruth Shaw and Bernie Ackerman.
Trail has become even bigger than he could’ve envisioned. “Getting 15 counties to agree to participate seemed like an insurmountable challenge,” he said. Bernie’s early support was vital: “Bernie gave the Trail a foothold in South Carolina and the presence it needed,” said Tom. A CPA and founder of BNA CPA & Advisors, Bernie enjoys the Thread Trail every day – from his
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Riverwalk office in Rock Hill. “I see ospreys diving for fish, eagles and Canadian geese,” he said. Bernie relocated his company to Riverwalk and built a five-story office/retail center in the heart of the River District. “What Bernie has done is a great example of the economic development that follows trail development,” Tom said. The Thread Trail allows recreation and work to co-exist. Philip Blumenthal, outgoing chair of the Thread Trail’s board, has “dedicated his career to conservation and environmental issues locally, regionally and nationally,” Tom said. When the N.C. Wildlife Federation named him Conservationist of the Year in 2014, he was called “the consummate behind-the-scenes supporter and out front leader.” Tom appreciates his “steady leadership” and his insistence on maintaining wildlife corridors. As important as the Trail is for humans, Philip has never lost sight of the wildlife that need it, too. “It is as much for the animals as it is for us,” he said. Like Ruth and Bernie, Philip has plenty of personal interaction with the Thread Trail. His office overlooks the Little Sugar Creek Greenway, a part of the Thread Trail. The nearby Metropolitan development – which contains a mix of restaurant, retail and offices – came about precisely because of the Greenway. Even people who will never kayak on the Thread Trail’s blueways or bike the pathways can enjoy the views from a restaurant patio. Philip, Ruth and Bernie all say retiring from the Thread Trail’s board doesn’t signal the end of their involvement. All three have been essential in creating and preserving something people will appreciate in perpetuity. They’ve earned their retirement, but it doesn’t make “goodbye” any easier. “Bernie, Ruth and Philip helped create the Thread Trail,” Tom said. And they raised it through its tough initial years. “Future generations will know what they did for this region.”
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SPRING ARRIVES EARLY! PREVIEW CELEBRATION Benefiting Catawba Lands Conservancy Thursday, Feb. 25 6-9 p.m. The PARK Expo and Conference Center TITLE
UNDERWRITER
STEWARD Children play in a creek along the South Fork Trail in McAdenville, N.C. Photo by Nancy Pierce
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SUSTAINER
From protecting our rivers to building a new trail, every conservation success begins with you. Your gift ensures our natural world can continue to delight and sustain us all – today, and for generations to come.
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Girl Scouts enjoy outdoor adventures along the Hornets’ Nest Council Trail in Statesville, N.C. Photo by Nancy Pierce
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Davidson College students volunteer at CLC’s Catawba Springs Preserve in Lincolnton, N.C. Photo courtesy of WTVI PBS Charlotte