The Land Connection
January/February 2021
The Georgia Piedmont Land Trust (GPLT) protects land where you live, work and play.
We protect land that supports healthy habitats where wildlife thrives and people can connect with nature.
GPLT Achieves Renewed Accreditation

Georgia Piedmont Land Trust has been awarded renewed accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. Accreditation is a mark of distinction, recognizing land trusts that meet the national quality standards established by the land conservation community. Land trusts are required to go through an accreditation renewal process every 5 years. 

The Commission commended GPLT for an extraordinary commitment to excellence, trust, and permanence in land conservation, and especially recognized Georgia Piedmont Land Trust for its unique partnership with American Battlefield Trust in preserving historic American battlefields.
Kettle Creek Battlefield – A Revolutionary War

A British force was encamped along Kettle Creek in eastern Georgia on February 14, 1779. A small band of American Patriots from eastern Georgia and South Carolina surprised these Loyalists. A rout ensued -- a stunning defeat of the stronger British forces. It was one of many encounters between British forces and colonists as the American Revolution dragged on. Located in Wilkes County, in east Georgia, is Kettle Creek Battlefield, site of one of a very few such engagements in Georgia. 
 
In 2007 a report to Congress by the American Battlefield Protection Program called for this area to “be the focus of immediate and direct preservation measures.” Years of efforts followed to ensure such preservation by local citizens and history buffs, spearheaded by the Kettle Creek Battlefield Association (KCBA), the Daughters of the American Revolution, various conservation organizations and others.

Thus, two centuries after the battle, a significant portion of the site was purchased in 2017 by the American Battlefield Trust, protected by a conservation easement held by the Georgia Piedmont Land Trust and deeded to Wilkes County to become a park featuring the historic elements of this pivotal battle and for passive recreation.

Wilkes County has since added a loop trail, through a Georgia Department of Natural Resources grant, with a board walk, granite benches, informational signage and kiosk. Three walking bridges spanning Kettle Creek and a feeder creek aid visitor access. More improvements are planned.
Kettle Creek loop trail.
Prickly pear in floodplain area along Kelly Branch of Kettle Creek battlefield.
Walker Chewning, president of KCBA, reported recently, “KCBA has conducted several archaeological studies with some amazing results. A study using cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar … revealed 28 possible Revolutionary War grave sites located throughout the battlefield … and marked with white crosses.” Other studies resulted in a 3D map image that clearly locates various features such as building foundations and the location of cart paths.

In January 2021 the Kettle Creek Battlefield became the first American Revolutionary War battlefield in Georgia to receive affiliated status within the National Park Service.

GPLT is proud to partner with Wilkes County and the KCBA to protect this unique monument to the American spirit of independence.
Our land conservation benefits you and future generations of Georgians. Help us continue this important work by donating today.
The Importance of Home Gardeners
 
Today, more than ever before, home gardeners are key to providing habitat for the preservation of species – including birds, butterflies and native pollinators. This was a focus of a recent presentation to the Atlanta-area Fulton Federation of Garden Clubs by Executive Director Carol Hassell. She drew from extensive research by Dr. Douglas Tallamy, professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology of the University of Delaware. So much habitat and undisturbed natural lands in the U.S. have been converted to human use, primarily residential, that home gardeners now are pivotal players in the preservation of species. By selecting appropriate native plant species, they can provide the plant species needed for nourishment and essential habitat by critters we cannot live without -- birds and pollinators. GPLT supports the use of native plant species in residential settings while helping to reduce the spread of exotic invasive plant species into adjacent natural lands.
Turkey Tails

If you walk in the woods, you’ve undoubtedly seen mushrooms growing on the ground or perhaps on fallen or damaged trees. Here, a type of fungus known as Turkey Tails (Trametes versicolor) flourished on a fallen hardwood in the woodlands of the Mary Kistner Nature Center. Turkey Tails are common throughout the eastern U.S,, an agent of decay primarily on hardwoods, less frequently on conifers. The visible portion here is the fruiting body. The roots of fungi, called mycorrhizae, provide replenishment to soil while acting as a vital network of nourishment for living trees.
A conservation network: Association of Georgia Land Trusts
 
GPLT is a founding member and supporter of the Association of Georgia Land Trusts (AGLT), a recently formed network of conservation organizations acting to provide a connection among land trusts and land conservation organizations active in Georgia, through communication, collaboration, and advocacy.

During the present Georgia General Assembly session, AGLT is following several potential legislative items, including the renewal of the Georgia Conservation Tax Credit. This statute can offer qualifying land owners an incentive to permanently protect land with important conservation. 

AGLT also offers a means of strengthening communications among land conservation organizations while identifying emerging items of interest to the land conservation community.
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Protecting important lands is what we do. But we cannot do it without you. Please support our mission with a donation today.
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Photos Courtesy of Hank Ohme, Carol Hassell & Dale Higdon