Good news keeps pouring in for the Canoochee Bogs Project! The Georgia Botanical Society has donated $2,000 to the project, which seeks to permanently protect 50 acres of high-priority bog habitat in South Georgia. The “GA Bot Soc” has supported this project for many years, both financially and in-person. When fundraising efforts began in 2016, the GA Bot Soc was one of the first organizations to donate to the project. The preservation-minded organization has donated $7,000 to the project overall.
The Georgia Botanical Society is an organization which is dedicated to the study and preservation of Georgia’s wild, native, rare, and endangered wildflowers and plant life. They promote the understanding and appreciation of plants and their relationship to the environment, as well as the study of botanical sciences, through fieldtrips, workshops, and special projects.
With this recent support, the project is very near completion. Thank you to the GA Bot Soc for helping to protect this precious resource!
The Canoochee Bogs, which are located in Southeast Georgia, are part of the longleaf pine ecosystem and provide crucial habitat for three carnivorous pitcherplant and seven orchid species, as well as Georgia's state reptile (gopher tortoise), and migratory songbirds. Permanently protecting this habitat from development will safeguard these rare species while allowing for habitat restoration. Ongoing restoration activities include prescribed fire, increasing rare plant populations, and removal of invasive woody shrubs.
Conservation groups from across the state, including partners at the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Georgia Native Plant Society, and the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance, have worked diligently since the late 1990’s to conserve the Canoochee Bogs, which span several privately-owned land parcels. The private landowners’ willingness to allow access to their land for rare species monitoring and restoration has been critical to this project’s success.
Conservation easements (CE) are voluntary, yet legally binding, agreements which allow private land ownership while restricting development. CEs are used to protect water quality, wildlife habitat, scenic areas, agricultural land, and historic sites. Permanently binding, conservation easements benefit current and future generations. Public benefits provided by conservation easements include the protection of drinking water, clean air, and scenic landscapes.
Photo Credit: USFWS