This Saturday December 10, we will return to the Blackwell Heritage Preserve to continue our work of the last three years to restore this important wetland. For our new Privet Pullers, this Preserve contains a very significant population of the federally-endangered Bunched Arrowhead, which is a wetland dependent plant. There are also some federally-threatened Dwarf Flowered Heartleaf plants on the site.

This Preserve and its wetlands have been significantly overrun by privet, an invasive shrub. For the last three years, we have spent several Saturday mornings in the late fall and winter removing privet and have restored a significant part of the Preserve. We will continue that effort this year.

We will start at 9 AM and finish by noon. You can come late or leave early. If you come late, walk down to the forest at the bottom of the hill. That is where the wetlands are, and that is where we will be working. Wear long pants and long sleeves; there can be poison ivy in any Upstate wetland, and there are briars here and there. Wear gloves, and if you have tools available, please bring a shovel, mattock, hand clippers and/or a rake. There is plenty to do if you don’t bring tools!

Please email Frank Hollerman at [email protected] if you plan to attend.

Directions: From Greenville or Travelers Rest: Go north on Highway 25. Pass the Tigerville Road intersection and the Spinx station. The next right is Blue Ridge Drive. It is near the Blue Ridge Creamery. Turn right on Blue Ridge Drive. Drive a couple of miles, and the entrance to the Preserve is on the left. The entrance is not marked, but it is on the left after you start seeing the blue blazes on the trees on the left side of the road, as you go up a hill. I will try to be out there to wave you in, if you come before 9 a.m. Come in the entrance, and park along the mowed road.

If you happen to come from the North or from Highway 11, come south on Highway 25. Blue Ridge Drive is on the left, before you get to the Spinx Station at Tigerville Road. Otherwise, directions are the same.