Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 16, 1995 TAG: 9510160019
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CATHRYN MCCUE
DATELINE: BENT MOUNTAIN LENGTH: Medium
It was the lure of a sunny autumn afternoon, the stands of virgin hemlock, the sight of a mountain stream plunging some 200 feet into a spectacular gorge, and an invitation from the Virginia chapter of The Nature Conservancy.
"There are a lot of good reasons to protect this place. First of all, it's beautiful," said Rob Riordan, a conservancy staffer, as he led a group of visitors along a trail at the Bottom Creek Gorge Preserve.
Aside from the scenery, the preserve is home to five globally rare species, including the aforementioned three with names longer than they are. The Roanoke darter (another fish) and chestnut lip-fern (a plant) are also found here.
The conservancy, whose motto is "the last of the best," is in the business of saving places that harbor rare plants and animals and that feature unique ecosystems. One of those happens to be right in our back yard, as many visitors last Thursday were surprised to discover.
"You don't know these places exist. They're so beautiful and they're so close by," said Lynn Meyer of Roanoke.
The Virginia chapter of the conservancy, based in Charlottesville, has pieced together the 1,700-acre preserve in five separate land acquisitions since 1989. Most recently, Appalachian Power Co. donated the chunk that includes the second-highest falls in the state and the gorge itself.
And the organization continues to talk with neighboring landowners in the hope of expanding the preserve, said director Michael Lipford. Surrounding land uses can have a great impact on the creek's ecosystem and the survival of the rare fish, he said.
One adjacent tract, about 100 acres, is the old Kiwannian Camp, closed now for many years. It was a popular spot where many a Roanoker spent summer days.
Local volunteers help maintain the 4.5 miles of trails and escort people on weekend hikes. Though privately held by the conservancy, the preserve is open to the public by appointment.
Judy Dunscomb, another staffer, explained that part of the group's mission is to expose people to the benefits of conservation. The gathering last Thursday, which included a catered picnic, was part of that outreach.
"This opens people's minds to thinking about conservation and what we're trying to do," Dunscomb said. "This is kind of an island in a developing area," and it may be the only truly natural place left in the future.
In geologic time, Lipford said, the New, Roanoke and Upper Tennessee rivers all mixed and mingled in what is now Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee, leaving one of the most biologically diverse regions anywhere. Today, 11 percent of the fish species in Virginia can be found in Bottom Creek, he said.
It's rare places like this that the conservancy hopes to save. The group has been involved in preserving 200,000 acres in Virginia, all but 65,000 acres of which have been turned over to public or private entities.
But that's not enough, Lipford said. The group has targeted nine different landscapes throughout Virginia to concentrate on over the next five years - an effort that will preserve between 50 percent and 75 percent of the state's most unique ecosystems and take about $20 million to pull off, he said.
The group's mission attracts some well-to-do, conservation-minded sponsors. Along for Thursday's hike were Warner Dalhouse, chairman of First Union National Bank of Virginia; members of the Boxley family, which owns W.W. Boxley quarries; Steve Strauss, a Roanoke Valley developer; and members of the Carter family, former owners of Carter Machinery in Roanoke.
For more information or to schedule a hike, call (804) 295-6106.
For a green Halloween
Here are a few tips from The Environmental Defense Fund: Use canvas bags or pillow cases to collect candy rather than disposable containers. Remind children not to litter with their candy wrappers. Recycle old clothes for a costume, rather than buying one that will get thrown away. Buy candy with the least amount of packaging. Re-use party utensils, plates and tablecloths. And compost those jack-o-lanterns!
Women and the earth
Val Plumwood, a visiting scholar at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, will speak on environmental ethics and feminism Wednesday at 5 p.m. in Babcock Auditorium on the Hollins College campus.
by CNB