Our Mill Pond Project

By Dustin Foote

Water is the foundation for a healthy ecosystem. Sylvan Heights recognizes that relationship and strives to improve upon our natural world. That is why in 2010 we began the steps to procure land on a 150 year old mill pond. Over two years later, and tremendous effort from numerous groups, we are nearing completion on the Mill Pond Project. It is our hope that by Fall of 2013 we will be able to begin to show visitors a primal world, where you will have a exciting opportunity to kayak among an old growth cypress swamp. Sylvan has high hopes that this eco-tour will spur visitors to reconnect with their natural environment.

While much has been achieved, there are still many steps left for the project. As environmental stewards of this venture, Sylvan has focused its energy on managing the remaining natural flora and fauna, while promoting the growth of those species to which have been lost. A portion of our land grant has been set aside to be returned to natural Long Leaf Pine (Pinus palustris.) Long Leaf Pine is a slow growing native conifer that has largely disappeared from North Carolina, being replaced by faster growing species for the lumber industry. With its disappearance, many species that depended on the pine stands have also vanished. Sylvan hopes that by restoring a small reservoir we can create a natural refuge for species such as the Scarlet Kingsnake (Lampropeltis elapsoides) or the Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis). Sylvan hopes that its contribution will inspire others to follow in its footsteps, for it recognizes the fact that much effort is needed to save these species.

Recently Sylvan has begun preparation for a flash burn of the future Long Leaf Pine stand. Long Leaf Pines are one of the species that depend on forest fires for regeneration. During this time, our staff has been lucky enough to observe American Redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla), Common Yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas), Black-and-white Warblers (Mniotilta varia), Prothonotary Warblers (Protonotaria citrea), Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus), Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), Great Egrets (Ardea alba), Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa), Great Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias), and many more. These are just some of the species visitors will have the chance to see.

On the bottom end of the 350 acre pond Sylvan has repaired the dam and incorporated a fish ladder. This restoration has raised the water level back to its historic level, and will allow Sylvan to manage cypress growth more effectively. Cypress trees need periods of drought to allow for seeds to germinate. In addition, the fish ladder will allow fresh water spawning species access to the pond.

We are very excited to continue our work on the Mill Pond Project, and look forward to sharing this treasure with you in the near future.

The Great Backyard Bird Count

This weekend, people all over the United States and Canada will be participating in the 14th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). This year, the GBBC runs Friday, February 18th, through Monday, February 21st.

Sylvan Heights is happy to welcome local students who will be counting our native birds at the park on Friday at 10 a.m. And we invite all of you to come out and visit us this weekend.

Our location has attracted a wide variety of bird species over the last few years, including pileated woodpeckers, prothonotary warblers, yellow-rumped warblers, bald eagles, red-shouldered hawks, and many, many more. Just a few weeks ago, a small group of sandhill cranes were seen regularly around the park.

The four-day count takes place every February, and averages 10 million bird observations. People of any age can participate and no experience is necessary. Contrary to its name, you do not have to count birds in your own backyard, but can elect to count them anywhere - at a local park, school, etc. The project itself is as easy as 1, 2, 3:

• First, participants commit to counting birds for at least 15 minutes during one or more days of the count.

• Second, during your count, you record the highest number of birds of a single species (i.e., 5 cardinals, 8 house finches, 2 chickadees, etc.) that you see at one time.

• Last, submit your data by going to the website and entering your checklist.

A joint effort between Cornell University and the Audubon Society, as well as Bird Studies Canada, this Citizen Science Project is a valuable tool for scientists studying local bird populations. The data recorded help them to monitor the effects of changing weather patterns or diseases on bird populations, compare migratory behaviors to previous years, and monitor "irruptive" species (birds that appear in great numbers some years and not in others).

To learn more about the Great Backyard Bird Count, visit their website at http://www.birdcount.org/.  It has a wealth of information and includes games and activities for kids like puzzles, coloring pages and bookmarks. You can also learn more about birds, flip though their photo gallery, and even see last year's bird count results.

Sylvan Heights Contributes to Research Study

Sylvan Heights has a large number of interns and researchers who come to stay for various lengths of time throughout the year. It is such a pleasure to meet so many individuals - young and old – who are interested in conservation.

We are also proud to have been able to participate in so many scientific research projects and to share the wealth of knowledge that has been acquired here throughout the years. We look forward to contributing to many more studies in the years to come.

One of our most recent visitors was Jessica Meir, an American scientist at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Jessica is a physiologist working on a research project with bar-headed geese. She came to the park to hand-raise and imprint a group of bar-headed goslings that she plans to train to fly in a wind tunnel for her study.

We are fortunate to be able to share more about Jessica’s work with you in the following video that she made while she was here. Thanks so much to Joe Holliday of the Commonwealth Progress for capturing her story on video…

Whooping Crane Arrives at Sylvan Heights

Sylvan Heights is proud to introduce one of our newest additions to the Park: a young whooping crane. Only a handful of places in North America work with these birds, and the Park is the only private facility given the privelege to display this endangered species. Hatched last spring at the International Crane Foundation in Wisconsin, the young male whooping crane incurred a leg injury and was deemed non-releasable back into the wild. Sylvan Heights is thrilled to be given the opportunity to use this bird as an animal ambassador to educate the public about the plight and resulting programs successfully created for this species.

The rarest of the 15 crane species, whooping cranes are native to North America. In 1941, a bird count revealed that only 16 living birds were left in the wild. Since then, extraordinary conservation efforts have been made, the result of which is that we now have just over 500 birds in the world.

The tallest bird in North America, an adult whooping crane is imposing. They stand between 4 and 5 feet high, with snowy white plumage, except for a brilliant red cap on the top of their heads, and black facial markings and black primary feathers clearly visible in flight. Their long, spear-like beaks and fierce golden eyes make an adult whooping crane quite formidable when protecting its young. 

They get their name from their distinctive "whoop-like" call, which pairs often make in unison. Whoopers are gregarious by nature meaning that they prefer to live in a group, or in their case, family groups. They frequent marshes, shallow lakes and lagoons where there is an abundance of aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates for their young to feed on. Sometimes adults may kill larger prey such as rodents, snakes and small birds.

In the wild, whooping cranes naturally migrate 4000 km from their breeding grounds in Canada's Wood Buffalo National Park to their wintering grounds at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas.

However, scientists became concerned of the potential risk associated with having only one wild population of whoopers. They recognized that the group could easily be wiped out by disease, bad weather or other factors. 

So a successful captive rearing and reintroduction program using ultralight airplanes was implemented. It focuses on raising the chicks of captive pairs and "guiding" them on their first migration southward. Operation Migration has been remarkably successful in its goal to establish an eastern population of migrating whoopers. Each fall, a team of dedicated conservationists, guide a group of young birds from Wisconsin south to Florida.

But OM also works with other species including sandhill cranes and Canada geese. To learn more about their programs, please visit their comprehensive web site. It includes a great deal of information on everything from the natural history of the birds themselves, to video clips about training the young birds to follow the ultralights, to audio bites of vocalizations, and much, much more. 

Then grab your coat and head to the Park for your first encounter with our magnificent whooping crane and see it for yourself!