This paper in Animal Conservation, by Mike Knoerr, Anna Tutterow, Gabrielle Graeter, Shannon Pittman and Kyle Barrett, analyzes population growth rate estimates and management interventions for 5 NC bog turtle sites. When sharing the paper, Mike wrote, “… thank you all for your contributions to this paper… It’s built on the back of decades of…
New Paper: Eastern Box Turtles
Check out this new paper coauthored by BLN steering committee member Gabrielle Graeter, BLN member Ann Berry Somers and their colleagues. AbstractTurtles are in decline worldwide, and the magnitude and recent acceleration of population declines requires immediate action to inform conservation and management plans. Long‐term studies of population trends and characteristics covering multiple populations across…
Journal Article: Hydrology of a Southern Appalachian Hypocrene Spring-Fed Fen
Environmental and Engineering Geoscience (2020) 26 (3): 359–366 Jeffrey Wilcox, Emily Bradshaw Marino, Adam Warwick, Megan Sutton ABSTRACT Garland Seep is a Southern Appalachian fen that supports a population of federally endangered green pitcher plants (Sarracenia oreophila). The wetland is underlain by clayey stream deposits above fractured bedrock, is located at the base of a…
Association of State Wetland Managers | Tuesday webinar open to all
Tuesday, January 12, 2021 – 2:00-4:00 pm ET Looking Back, Looking Forward: A Review of Trump Administration Rulemakings and Charting a Path Forward ▪ Julia Anastasio, Association of Clean Water Administrators▪ Royal Gardner, Professor of Law and Director of the Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy Stetson University College of Law▪ James M. McElfish, Jr.,…
New Article on Bog Turtle Nest Predation
This is one of several research articles to come from the work of Mike Knoerr and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission for TNC preserves located in the Southern Blue Ridge. This particular research began back when Mike was a graduate student at Clemson University. Today, TNC works with Mike and Tangled Bank Conservation to protect…
Southeastern Plant Conservation Alliance – get involved, fill out the survey
The Southeastern Plant Conservation Alliance (SE PCA) is a cross-cutting partnership of public and private conservation professionals working in the Southeastern US. The SE PCA seeks to bridge gaps between local and national efforts by fostering regional cooperation and promoting a diversity of partners. The SE PCA was informally launched during the 2nd Southeastern Partners…
Bogs in the News, Fall 2020
Hope In the Bog | Garden & Gun magazine, December 2020 -January 2021 issue “In the North Carolina Mountains, biologists work to give North America’s tiniest and rarest turtle a fighting chance” by Lindsey Liles https://gardenandgun.com/articles/saving-the-souths-tiniest-and-rarest-turtles/ Great work by our partners at Tangled Bank Conservation! “Cranberries growing wild in Western North Carolina? Who knew?” by…
Animals We Protect: Bog Turtle
Check out this new feature by Sydney Bezanson, Creative Content Manager for The Nature Conservancy in North Carolina: https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/animals-we-protect/bog-turtle/ “The bog turtle is North America’s smallest turtle, growing only to 4.5 inches in length. Easily recognized by the orange patch on either side of its head, the bog turtle favors open, groundwater-fed wet meadows and…
An Overview of the Southeastern Partners in Plant Conservation 2020
SePPCon 2020 was held at the Atlanta Botanical Garden from March 2-6, 2020. Pre-conference workshops were held in the Garden’s new Southeastern Center for Conservation, home to the Conservation Genetics and Micropropagation Laboratories. The workshops included training in IUCN Red Listing & NatureServe Ranking, Conservation Horticulture, and Seedbanking & Micropropagation. Two keynote speakers set the…
An Update for Sandy Bottom Preserve
To view the full article by K. Chávez, Asheville Citizen Times, click here. Sandy Bottom wetlands to receive protection for ‘national ecological significance’ Karen Chávez, Asheville Citizen Times Published 5:00 a.m. ET Jan. 14, 2020 ASHEVILLE – Do the thousands of drivers who zip down N.C. 191 through Bent Creek each day know they are passing…
Protecting Photographs Prevents Poaching
In this day and age, social media absorbs just about everything and everyone. I mean, why wouldn’t it? It’s such a conveniently fast, educational, and artistic way to share ideas and information with others. Even within small circles of botanists, horticulturalists, conservationists, and plant enthusiasts alike, we all want to share our excitement and new…
Guest Post: Pitcher Plant Flies by Peter Kann, Eastern Carolina University
What do you think of when you think of flies? Annoyance at picnics or in the house? Maybe you think of the itching bites that some species inflict? In reality, flies are an extremely diverse group of insects that lead complex and often dangerous lives. Flies can be predators, pollinators, pest-controllers, blood-suckers, herbivores, and even…
