Partner Preview - Presquile NWR - Aug. 29, 2012

A beautiful marsh scene from Presquile NWR.

On August 29, 2012, a Partner Preview event was held at Presquile NWR. This event included 'tours' of all the facilities and projects that have been underway for some time now. The photos in this post were taken at the Partner Preview event by Lori A.

On November 27, 2012, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announced the following:

Deputy Regional Director Deborah Rocque approved the final Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for Presquile National Wildlife Refuge (Presquile NWR, the refuge) on October 9, 2012. The Service released the draft CCP and environmental assessment for the refuge for public review and comment in August 2012. Based on the comments received, the final CCP was completed. The final plan serves as a 15‑year blueprint for managing the refuge's wildlife and habitats, as well as enhancing public use programs and infrastructure on the refuge.

A few highlights of the final 15-year plan include the following:

• Managing refuge forests, grasslands, marshes, and aquatic habitats to benefit species of conservation concern. In particular, we would focus on habitat for priority migratory birds, such as the waterfowl and waterbirds, and forest-dependent birds, and for rare and declining species, such as the federally endangered Atlantic sturgeon and the federally threatened sensitive joint-vetch. 
• Promoting natural succession on approximately 200 acres of grassland to mixed mesic forest to provide breeding and migrating habitat for birds of conservation concern.
• Controlling invasive plant species.
• Expanding our conservation, research, monitoring, and management partnerships to help restore and conserve refuge resources and water quality of the James River and Chesapeake Bay. 
• Enhancing and expanding our visitor services programs on the refuge by evaluating new hunting opportunities for adults and youth, creating new interpretive materials, expanding our environmental education program, and offering visitors more opportunities to learn about the refuge and the surrounding landscape.

The 1,329-acre Presquile NWR is an island in the James River near Hopewell, Virginia, 20 miles southeast of Richmond. It was established in 1953 as "an inviolate sanctuary, or for any other management purpose, for migratory birds." It is one of many important migratory stopover sites along the Atlantic Flyway and provides protected breeding habitat for Federal and State-listed threatened and endangered species, as well as many neotropical migrant bird species. The refuge is comprised of a variety of wildlife habitats, including the open waters of the James River, tidal swamp forest, tidal freshwater marshes, grasslands, mixed mesic forest, and river escarpment. Presquile NWR is one of the four refuges that comprise the Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

☼☼☼

"Through a unique and innovative public-private partnership, the James River Association has the opportunity to run environmental education programs" at Presquile NWR.  Here is a link to a JRA Website page for the James River Ecology School:

James River Ecology School - Presquile NWR

There is a map of the island at this link with numbered points of interest - here are pictures of some of those numbered points:

#2 Wetland Walkway

  Canoes are used to explore the two tidal creeks and the marshlands.

 

Walkway, marsh views and the canoes.

 



 

Views along the river:

 

An interesting tree with a very geometrical vine and a dead tree that is likely a good roosting spot:

 

                    Observation Deck with river views and views of the fields:

 

#3 Eco-friendly school buildings:

 

Inside Views of classroom and facilities:

 

#6 Sturgeon Reef
This sturgeon was tagged with a sonar tracking tag and was subsequently released in the James River during the Partner Preview event (more on the sturgeon project in the last post of this Presquile series).

 

 

A lot has happened and changed on Presquile since my first trip in 2009. There are many more trees and a lot less fence, for sure! The old house has been refurbished into classrooms and an educational facility. For a couple of years, we heard about the marsh walkway that was going to be built and now it is in place as well as the canoes for trips of exploration, education and adventure along the tidal creeks.  Presquile NWR is well on the way to achieving the goals in its final Comprehensive Conservation Plan! It's a special place and it has been a pleasure and an adventure to have a small part in the progress and work that has been happening out on the island - we hope to make many more work and volunteer event trips out to Presquile NWR. ~ Merlot

 

(All photos by Lori A.)