[Bristol-Birds] Purchase adds land to Orchard Bog

From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Bristol-birds" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:21:31 -0400
The Nature Conservancy adds land to Orchard Bog 
The Nature Conservancy recently purchased a 4.5-acre tract of land that will be 
an addition to Orchard Bog Preserve.
The acquisition not only provides critical habitat for the area's rare bog 
turtle population but also provides the community with a success story of how 
protecting wetlands results in benefits for plants, animals and people.

The property, which abuts The Nature Conservancy's largest wetlands preserve in 
Shady Valley, was formerly owned by Edith Jenkins, a native and resident of 
Shady Valley.

She inherited the land from her brother, George Jenkins Jr.  Though George 
passed away in September 2000, his memory and his dedication to the well-being 
of the bog turtles live on with Edith, who remembers George frequently stopping 
his car to get out and remove the small black-shelled reptiles from the road. 

"We've dreamed of adding this property to Orchard Bog Preserve for a long, long 
time," says Gabby Call, program director of The Nature Conservancy office in 
Shady Valley and self-proclaimed bog turtle steward. "This property may be 
small in size, but it is very important." Bog turtles, she explains, have been 
using this land as part of their larger habitat for many years.  For this 
reason, Call and her team are thrilled to have secured this property. 

Call shares Jenkins' concern for the health of Shady Valley, explaining that 
bog turtles, the smallest species of turtle in North America, require very 
specific habitat conditions. These include the combination of open space, very 
sunny spots and shallow water. 

The Conservancy will help Edith memorialize her brother by placing a plaque in 
his honor somewhere in the preserve.  Above all, Edith wants to preserve Shady 
Valley's trees, plants and animals. "Especially the turtles," she adds.

In the mid-twentieth century, much of the turtles' natural wetlands habitat in 
Shady Valley was drained in order to promote agriculture. Edith counts her 
father, George Jenkins Sr., who originally purchased the family's property in 
the 1940s, as one of many who transformed the wetlands into farm land.

In more recent years, as agricultural land use has diminished somewhat, The 
Nature Conservancy has made concerted efforts to restore some of Shady Valley's 
wetlands to their original state. To date, almost 150 acres of marshy wetland 
areas have been reclaimed.

Other species, such as wild cranberries and many species of birds, also benefit 
from a healthier wetland ecosystem.  

As Call explains, wetlands act as "giant sponges that filter chemicals and 
sediment out of the water. Healthy wetlands mean cleaner water for animals and 
people."
[Bristol-Birds] Purchase adds land to Orchard Bog

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