Wake Nature Preserves Partnership Turnipseed Update

Goals of WNPP To identify and designate as “Wake Nature Preserves” protected open spaces in Wake County that contain important ecological or geological resources or meet other criteria that qualify them for this distinction; To create more public awareness and appreciation of our highest quality natural areas in Wake County; To develop organizational capacity to conduct natural resource inventories and develop management plans for Preserves; and To develop an organized volunteer base of citizen- scientists to assist with environmental stewardship efforts.

Who’s Involved? Wake County Wake County City of Raleigh City of Raleigh NC Museum of Natural Sciences NC Museum of Natural Sciences NC Natural Heritage Program NC Natural Heritage Program NC State University College of Natural Resources NC State University College of Natural Resources NC Wildlife Resources Commission NC Wildlife Resources Commission Town of Holly Springs Town of Holly Springs Triangle Land Conservancy Triangle Land Conservancy UNC Herbarium/NC Botanical Garden UNC Herbarium/NC Botanical Garden Citizen volunteers Citizen volunteers

Marks Creek Turnipseed Road Tract Wake Nature Preserve Demonstration Site Comprised of four Wake County owned parcels, totaling acres Triangle East Sportsman’s Club George Pleasants Edgerton Medlin

Why Turnipseed Road is Exceptional Federally listed species: Michaux’s sumac State Natural Heritage species: beaked hazelnut and others NCWAP priority habitats with priority species Landscape attributes including rock outcrops, waterfalls, boulder overlooks, beaver ponds, unusual wildflowers (lupine)

Turnipseed accomplishments Turnipseed accomplishments Identified as demonstration site for the Partnership Served as host site for May ’08 service learning workshop Marked site boundaries Mapped important natural and cultural features with GPS Identified and mapped areas with invasive species for later removal Inventoried natural resources, including: Generalized plant list Detailed list of lichens, approx. 200 species 40 species of herps: 17 amphibians; 23 reptiles 120 species of birds Forest inventory, including growth projections, for all major forest types (data collected, analysis in process) Down woody debris inventory (data collected, analysis in process) Developed draft management and stewardship plan for this site, which will serve as a model for others across the County, along with the “cookbook” in process Introduction of tiger salamander (in process)

Review and Next steps 1. Inventory (mostly complete) 2. Management Plan (draft almost complete) 3. Stewardship (on-going) 4. Apply to WNPP for “Wake Nature Preserve” designation 5. Develop a cookbook of stewardship recommendations