Tucked away in remote Southern Virginia, this plot was once a forest thick with towering hardwoods and animals that took advantage of the proximity to the Dan River and the rolling, stream-filled topography, which is unusually hilly for the Piedmont. Several years ago, the land was strip-logged and abandoned. Because it was not re-planted for timber, small patches of forest that remained after logging have crept back over bare soil, creating a secondary succession habitat rife with unusual native plants, fungi, and insects. In my wanderings of this landscape, I've come across a small, emergent wetland, home to a host of interesting species like the endangered bog turtle and Easter tiger salamander. 

Join us in this regenerating eden from the perspective of an organism on the forest floor. Hear dew drip from blue flags and emerging cattails, or the flick of grasshoppers as sunlight warms cordgrass. 

Isolated wetlands (wetlands not attached to larger water bodies or the ocean) are some of the most endangered habitats in the US. While they provide a host of ecosystem services like water filtration, carbon sequestration, habitat for endangered species, and groundwater recharge, over 50% of the original wetlands in the lower East Coast states have been lost. If you'd like to learn more about wetlands and wetland restoration efforts in the US, please see this link: https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/basic-information-about-wetland-restoration-and-protection 

For more information about Willow and their projects, please visit https://willowgatewood.com/ or https://www.instagram.com/willowg_music/