“Lincolnton, GA- June 24, 2021—The National Wildlife Federation (NWF), America’s largest wildlife conservation and education organization, is pleased that Lincoln County Extension has successfully created a Certified Wildlife Habitat® through its Garden for Wildlife™ movement.
NWF celebrates this effort to create a garden that supports birds, butterflies, bees, frogs, and other local wildlife. Every Certified Wildlife Habitat provides natural sources of food, water, cover, and places to raise young, and is maintained in a sustainable way that incorporates native plants, conserves water, and uses integrated pest management techniques.
For over 45 years, the Garden for Wildlife movement has recognized over 227,000 Certified Wildlife Habitats across the United States to date, encompassing more than 2.5 million acres that support wildlife locally.”
Lincoln County Extension is excited and proud of our recent Wildlife Habitat Certification through NWF for our Nature Trail. In order to earn this certification, we have asserted that our nature trail does five critical things. First and foremost, our nature trail provides a variety of food sources for wildlife. These food sources include seeds, berries, foliage, twigs, sap, pollen, and more. Second, our wetland habitat and creek provide adequate water for all species of wildlife. Did you know that our waterway is a creek, not a stream, because it is shallow, narrow, and doesn’t have much of a current? In addition to food and water, our nature trail provides cover and shelter from weather and predators in the form of ground cover, brambles, wooded spaces, deadfall, and meadows. These areas of cover and shelter are also areas that wildlife can court, mate, and raise young—the fourth requirement of the certification. Finally, we are using sustainable management practices on our trail such as using mulch, removing invasive species, planting native species, and limiting our water use.
Becoming a Certified Wildlife Habitat is exciting, but even more exciting are the experiences we have on the trail. Our visitors have seen a variety of animals including many species of birds, reptiles like lizards and turtles, and mammals like squirrels and deer. They have also seen a huge variety of native plants, from grasses and wildflowers in the pollinator gardens at the entrance to English ivy, thistle, wild berries, slash pines, and more! As always, we do recommend you visit the trail after a few days of sunshine as it does get muddy when it rains. Please wear good shoes and bug spray, and let us know what your favorite parts are! The trail is located at the Lincoln County Agriculture Center at 2080 Rowland York Rd and is a great alternative to walk during the heat of the day instead of the track. Maps to help you navigate are available at the Lincoln County Extension Office (located in the Ag Center) and is posted at the entrance of the trail. If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know at uge3181@uga.edu or 706-359-3233.
