Davidson Lands Conservancy | Davidson, North Carolina

Video From WOW! Visit to the Davidson College Herpetology Lab

Davidson Lands Conservancy — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 03:12:42 +0000

The Davidson Land Conservancy’s World of Wonder (WOW!) program recently hosted a visit to the Herpetology Lab at Davidson College, and we’ve got the video to prove it.

Watch the YouTube video by clicking here.

Check out our other post for more details about this visit as well as some photos. Be sure to mark April 14th on your calendar when Davidson College will host reptile day. The Davidson Lands Conservancy will be there.

WOW Visit to Davidson College Herp Lab

Davidson Lands Conservancy — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:44:31 +0000

Scaly, Slimy, but Never Scary – Come Pet Something That’s Not Hairy.

A very fortunate group of children and their parents had a wonderful time learning about the world of herpetology. Ms. Nitya Rao, of Davidson College, gave us some great information about reptiles and amphibians, especially those native to North Carolina. We got to see and touch frogs, salamanders and snakes. Thank you Ms. Rao for taking time on a Saturday morning to show us what an interesting group animals these are. For those who were at this outing and for those who were not able to attend, please mark your calendars for Saturday, April 14^th. The Herpetology Lab at Davidson College will be celebrating its annual Reptile Day in the courtyard of the Baker-Watt Science Complex. Ms. Rao will be there, and Professor Mike Dorcas will be giving a “Python” talk. Davidson Lands Conservancy will be there, too, with a fun kids activity. We hope to see you then!

Nitya Rao

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Green Ball 2012 Was a Swinging Success!

Davidson Lands Conservancy — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 01:53:52 +0000

The Davidson College Environmental Action Committee again sponsored Green Ball, an annual event held to benefit the Davidson Lands Conservancy. Featuring contra dancing, live music, food and a silent auction, Green Ball 2012 was a great success!

To see a video of Green Ball 2012, click here.

This Green Ball marked the 8th annual event. The Davidson Lands Conservancy greatly appreciates the efforts of the Davidson College Environmental Action Committee and its support of the Davidson Lands Conservancy.

WOW- The Great Backyard Bird Count is this weekend!

Davidson Lands Conservancy — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:53:14 +0000

Today’s post is just to remind you of the GBBC which is this weekend, Feb. 17-20. If you live in the Charlotte area you might want to get out and see some other surroundings on what promises to be another lovely, warm for February, weekend. This great website shows some interesting places to watch birds near the Charlotte area. If you explore the NC Bird Trail site you’ll find that there are sites all over North Carolina with good driving directions and ideas about what you might see there. And don’t forget, if you do count birds this weekend be sure to report them to The Great Backyard Bird Count. You’ll be doing your part for Citizen Science.

WOW Winter Beauty at Lake Davidson Nature Preserve

Davidson Lands Conservancy — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:33:57 +0000

At our lovely Lake Davidson Nature Preserve there is a stand of American Beech trees(Fagus Grandifolia). This tree is native to the east in the United States and southern Canada. It grows to 60 to 80 feet and has a rounded crown. The leaves are oval with a tip and saw-toothed edges. Beech trees produce a nut that is favored by wildlife. The bark is smooth and light colored. These trees prefer fertile, well drained soil. Early settlers recognized their presence as a sign of good potential farmland. You won’t have trouble recognizing these trees in the winter because of their tendency to hang on to their leaves. You’ll notice this if you visit Lake Davidson Nature Preserve in the next weeks before the new spring leaves develop. The the winter leaves are a light gold color as you can see from the attached pictures. The combination of the smooth bark of the trunks, the gold of the leaves, the blue sky and Lake Davidson makes for a lovely sight on a winter day. This weekend would be a great time to visit and you can also participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Sit down on one of the benches and enjoy nature!

Link to good information about the American Beech.

WOW Great Backyard Bird Count!

Davidson Lands Conservancy — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:05:24 +0000

Look for WOW at the Davidson Farmer’s Market on Saturday Feb. 11. We’ll be there promoting The Great Backyard Bird Count which is always held Presidents’ Day Weekend. This year that will be February 17-20. This is an opportunity for people of all ages to be a part of Citizen Science. You can count in your own yard or count in your neighborhood. Maybe you’d like to go on a hike and count. This link will tell you all you need to know about how to count, what to count and how to report your counts. Great Backyard Bird Count- GBBC

John Marshall Custom Homes Offering Free Tickets to Spread the Love Event in Davidson

Davidson Lands Conservancy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:52:34 +0000

John Marshall Custom Homes of Davidson is offering 10 free tickets to “Spread the Love,” a jazz, art, food and wine event being held February 24 at the Homewood Suites Davidson. Proceeds benefit the Davidson Lands Conservancy, Ada Jenkins, and the Community School of Davidson.

Winning the tickets is easy. Just ‘like’ the Lake Davidson Nature Preserve page on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-Davidson-Nature-Preserve/243997902296081) to win one ticket, or visit the Lake Davidson Nature Preserve and ‘check-in’ on facebook using your mobile device to win two tickets.

The Lake Davidson Nature Preserve is located behind the Davidson Day School, and features the only public canoe and kayak access to Lake Davidson. A newly constructed nature trail winds through the preserve, and features several Leopold benches, informational signs, and an exquisite gazebo overlooking Lake Davidson. The Lake Davidson Nature Preserve was built by the Davidson Lands Conservancy through the support and efforts of REI as well as dozens of volunteers and local organizations.

John Marshall Custom Homes

John Marshall Custom Homes is celebrating its 10^th anniversary in 2012, and as part of this celebration is sponsoring local organizations throughout the year. “As a Board member of the Davidson Lands Conservancy I’ve experienced first hand the positive role the DLC is playing in our community,” says Rodney Graham, owner of John Marshall Custom Homes. “We’ve greatly expanded our reach in Davidson, and the Lake Davidson Nature Preserve is just one example of a service that the DLC is providing to Davidson. I am pleased to support the DLC, and I ask that you share this message with your friends and ask them to support the DLC as well.”

The Davidson Lands Conservancy sincerely thanks John Marshall Custom Homes and Board Member Rodney Graham for the enthusiastic support of DLC and the Spread the Love Event! We look forward to seeing many jazz, art and wine enthusiasts, and supporters of DLC, the Community School and Ada Jenkins at this great event.

Plan a Visit to Lake Davidson Nature Preserve

Davidson Lands Conservancy — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:29:28 +0000

Looking for a place to enjoy this glorious weather?

Plan a visit to the Lake Davidson Nature Preserve behind Davidson Day School. Walking trails, picnic tables, benches and a gazebo with a view of the lake have been added to the preserve, thanks to grants from REI and the hard work of a several groups of DLC volunteers.

Lake Davidson is a pristine body of water adjacent to Lake Norman, but separated from its larger neighbor by the I-77 causeway and regulations that prohibit the motorcraft that populate Lake Norman. Thus, its serenity makes it a favorite for those who wish to travel by canoe or kayak.

Before the creation of Lake Davidson Nature Preserve, there was no public access to Lake Davidson. That changed in late 2010 when the Davidson Lands Conservancy, with a grant from REI and the cooperation of the Town of Davidson and Davidson Day School, built an access trail and canoe/kayak launch on Lake Davidson.

The trail begins on Jetton Street by the Davidson Day athletic fields, then winds about 900 feet through a mature hardwood forest until reaching the launch point at lake Davidson. Along the way, benches provide a place to rest or just enjoy the view, and a midway canoe/kayak rack allows lake enthusiasts to literally take a load off of their shoulders.

When you visit, be sure to enjoy the gazebo featuring a beautiful view of Lake Davidson, and the series of benches constructed in the simple, sturdy style made famous by environmentalist, Aldo Leopold. The benches feature sketched or photographic plaques of wildlife in honor of a select group of the Conservancy’s founding members, Presidents and Board Members. Whether you wish to canoe or kayak or just enjoy a stroll in the woods, we encourage you to enjoy the beauty of Lake Davidson Nature Preserve.

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The entrance to Lake Davidson Nature Preserve is on Jetton Street, just behind Davidson Day School.

Green Ball at Davidson College February 17th

Davidson Lands Conservancy — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:58:42 +0000

Mark your calendars for the 8th Annual Green Ball on February 17th at Davidson College! Hosted by Davidson College’s Environmental Action Coalition, the Green Ball is a night of dancing, fun and fund-raising for the Davidson Lands Conservancy.

The dance runs from 7:00-11:00 in the Lilly Family Gallery of Chambers Hall on the Davidson Campus. The ball features contra dancing and silent and chance auctions of prizes donated by local artists and businesses.

A contra dance is a social dance featuring live music and rotating dance lines, with many of the steps borrowed from square and line dancing. It is fast-faced, fun, and easy to learn. There is a live band and a caller who lets you know exactly what to do.

Not a dancer? No problem. They will provide brief contra dance lessons for beginners.

All proceeds will benefit the Davidson Lands Conservancy, a local non-profit land trust that works to protect natural, open space in the Town of Davidson. Previous Green Ball events have been a great mixture of Davidson students and Davidson residents of all ages, and all are welcome to attend this fun event to support the DLC. Tickets are $8 for students, $10 general admission, $12 at the door. More details to come, so stay tuned.

Link to Davidson College Calendar with Green Ball details

Cub Scouts Construct Fence at Brackett Bluff Nature Preserve

Davidson Lands Conservancy — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:52:18 +0000

On Saturday, January 28th, Cub Scouts and parents from Pack 58 had an important work day at Brackett Bluff Nature Preserve. Pack 58, sponsored by DCPC and DUMC, spent the work day constructing a replacement silt fence to replace a failing one on the boundary of the important Nature Preserve.

Davidson Lands Conservancy had discovered that a previous silt fence had begun to fail, and that erosion from an adjacent landfill was threatening to impact the conservation values of the Brackett Bluff property. Davidson Lands Conservancy, as holder of the conservation easement on Brackett Bluff Nature Preserve, is responsible for monitoring the property and ensuring that no activities occur on the property that might negatively impact the soil, plants or wildlife.

The local cub scouts agreed to take on the job of replacing the fence. After digging a trench, then installing stakes and mesh fabric designed to hold back silt, Pack 58 spent some time exploring wildlife and interesting rock formations on the property. The scouts are working toward a World Conservation Award.

Cub Scouts complete digging trench for fence

Cub Scouts explore cave and rock formations at Brackett Bluff