Imagine if with one action we could preserve and protect nature, improve air and water quality, honor American history, limit urbanization, support recreation and education? It would truly be a turning point of historical, cultural, and ecological importance, a watershed moment! Check out this news.
Last week, the Piedmont Land Conservancy (PLC) announced a landmark conservation partnership with Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina. Known as the Guilford Woods, this partnership would safeguard one of Greensboro’s last remaining undeveloped woodlands.
When I attended Guilford College in the late 1970’s, we lived in the rural, bucolic countryside with no fast food restaurants, very few roads, no major airport, and a low population density. We frequently walked in the Guilford Woods to relax, listen to many bird calls, and study books. We stayed mindful of the site that has borne witness to centuries of history, from the presence of Native American communities, Revolutionary War skirmishes, and freedom seekers escaping to Canada. A centuries-old tuliptree, known as the Underground Railroad Witness Tree, stands as a silent sentinel to these stories. Estimated to be at least 340 years old, it would have stood during the height of Underground Railroad activity.
Look at the map to see how significant urban development now surrounds the campus including interstates and the Piedmont Triad International Airport. Protecting the 120 acres is now more urgent than ever before! Its towering oaks, hickories, tuliptrees, beeches, and sweet gums create a thriving ecosystem that supports a remarkable diversity of wildlife, including white-tailed deer, foxes, raccoons, salamanders, crayfish, snakes, Wild Turkey, Red-shouldered Hawks, Barred Owls, and Pileated Woodpeckers.
I’ve been concerned about protecting the Woods, fearful that more development would occur especially due to the financial challenges of all public and private schools. Guilford Woods is the last remaining unprotected mature forest in central Greensboro. The 120-acre easement at Guilford Woods will connect to the neighboring 100-acre Julian and Ethel Clay Price Park, also protected by PLC, creating a new link to become part of Greensboro’s 100-mile trail network.
It’s very difficult to put a price on preserving nature but we can observe how we feel in an old growth forest compared to a clearcut forest. According to Save America’s Forests, only about 4% of old growth forests remain. To fund the conservation effort, PLC is launching a capital campaign to raise $8.5 million in private dollars that will fund the conservation easement to ensure the long-term protection of Guilford Woods.
Please give any amount you can to this incredibly important activity!