Sandhills Longleaf Pine Conservation Partnership Update

By Jimmy Lisenby, Sandhills Longleaf Pine Conservation Partnership

The Sandhills Longleaf Pine Conservation Partnership (SLPCP) has begun native longleaf understory seed collection efforts with its newly acquired Prairie Habitats seed harvester.  Lyne Askins and Mark Parker with the Carolina Sandhills Wildlife Refuge were very helpful in locating suitable collections sites on the refuge.  Collection efforts were focused on wiregrass stands in open longleaf forests with a history of fire and a large diversity of native understory species.  In a little less than 10 hours over two days we were able to collect about 40 pounds of seed.  This seed will be used to reestablish understory on private lands within the focus area.  Plans are to continue collecting seed until we have enough to satisfy the needs of interested landowners.

On Saturday October 4^th 2014 the SLPCP sponsored a booth in the heart of our focus area at the Carolina Festival in Chesterfield, SC.  The booth looked amazing thanks to Sue Griggs and Heather Rivers.  The display showed how the Chesterfield Soil and Water Conservation District, Sandhills Longleaf Pine Conservation Partnership, and the Natural Recourse Conservation Service work together to serve the landowners in the Chesterfield county area.  Many visitors to the booth took home a longleaf pine seedling curtesy of the SC Forestry Commission’s Taylor Nursery as well as a few other educational items.  This was a great opportunity to educate landowners about the network of support that exists for longleaf restoration.  Many kids were drawn in by the pictures of burning and found it astonishing that fire could be used as a tool to create a healthy forest.

Image 1.  LIT Coordinator Jimmy Lisenby collects wiregrass seed using a Prairie Habitats Seed harvester.  Photo by Susan Griggs.

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