Native Plantings on WPC Preserv Attract Birds, Help Biodiversity
WPC Land Stewardship Manager Tyson Johnston is one of several Conservancy staff working to keep the Helen B. Katz Natural Area in Crawford County ecologically healthy for current and future generations of humans and wildlife.
W
aterfowl and birders alike are already benefitting from a wetland restoration project across 89 acres of the Conservancy’s 552-acre Helen B. Katz Natural Area in Crawford County that was completed in 2023. Wetlands are areas of land that are saturated with water or covered by water, and home to a diverse array of plant and animal species, many of which are specialized and reliant on these unique habitats for their survival. In addition to supporting biodiversity, wetlands play a crucial role in mitigating the impacts of climate change, because they store large amounts of carbon that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. The restoration project restored former agricultural fields to their original ecology and reestablished water flows within the floodplain forest along Cussewago Creek, a tributary to French Creek. Part of the restoration project involved controlling and reducing invasive plants, and planting native vegetation. Native plants are 6
CONSERVE