There is a PDF of longleaf destinations created for the Fort Stewart-Altamaha area that I could send you for additional reference if I can get an address to send it to.
Thanks for this post! Don't forget deep East Texas where there is a vibrant effort to plant and support what were in past huge longleaf stands, as well as to use prescribed burns to yield open forest understory. My son is a forester, wildland firefighter, and instructor on prescribed burning. My brother manages a longleaf tract. Both of them are involved in longloeaf organziations and activity. I have planted longleafs each house I have lived in.
This is awesome! Thanks for sharing this impressive list! I had no idea there were so many of these still. I knew of Moody Forest from your work on that one. And Thomasville, but good to see there are so many in the panhandle.
I have loved the longleaf my whole life, and appreciated it more from your work and Charlie Seabrook's story long ago. Interesting to note in the comments from rangers about the Brantley fire, that it was so much worse because it was pine plantation rather than natural forest!
John, this may mean a road trip over to the Panhandle. Sometime when you're messing around, look up photos of "white-topped pitcher plants" at Eglin. Phenomenal.
Thank you so much for the work that went into this edition of your Substack. I'll share it and am filing it away for reference. I am blessed to have a pine cone from Old Tree in Weymouth Forest in Southern Pines, NC. It rests on my altar as a reminder of the connections among us all. Peace to you!
Janisse, there is a Longleaf pine restoration project in the Bankhead National Forest in Winston County, Alabama that is managed by the U. S. Forest Service. It is located on Highway 195 south of Double Springs. This is at the very northern tip of the range of Longleaf, as I understand it. About 15 years ago, Wild South (now Wild Alabama) partnered with the Forest Service to plant Longleaf in a plot in the area adjacent to the more mature Longleaf forest on Highway 195.
I did my masters thesis at Foscue Plantation in NC (https://foscueplantation.com). It was a naval stores plantation in the 1800s, and now they are working to restore the long leaf pines. It’s privately owned, but they give tours of the historic house on Thursdays and offer special events like Boy Scout camping (maybe in the forest?) Caveat- I was focused on the archaeology, not the trees. And it was 20 (!) years ago.
I have been scheming, trying to get to Ohoopee Dunes this spring, and this makes me want to go even more. If the rain lets up, I might go this weekend.
My additions to the list:
My beloved Fall Line Sandhills in Taylor County (Sandhills WMA) is a good examples with pine woods sparrows (aka Bachman's sparrows), great insect (especially butterflies) and reptile diversity, a nesting site for Southeastern kestrels, I think lark sparrows might breed there too. And the flowers! Many rare species, an autumn superbloom, as well as beautiful flowers in the spring.
Also, Sprewell Bluff WMA, where red-cockaded woodpeckers have recently been reintroduced. Lots of interesting botany there and high insect diversity.
Piedmont NWR as well, with red-cockaded woodpeckers and pinewoods sparrows both in the longleaf pines. The woodpeckers can be seen or at least heard near the visitors center and nearby trails, as well as at Pond 2A. (Plus there's a granite outcrop waterfall on the way to Pond 2A.) Also a great place of insect diversity, especially butterflies. A rare spring-flowering Verbesina grows there. Maybe Trillium reliquum but I'm not sure; I haven't seen it. There's a slope forest area that fills with Atamasco lilies and wild comfrey in late March/early April.
I think there are some other montane longleaf pine forests further north in Piedmont GA, like in Paulding County, but I haven't been there myself yet. It's on my list!
Include Silver Bluff Audubon Preserve in Jackson, SC. 3000 acres of managed LL, stork ponds, cockaded woodpeckers and educational presentations (Jenks consults with them).
I have a favorite place in the NC Sandhills Gamelands just south of Hoffman and west of US 1, that I refer to as "Bone's Fork" for the steam that flows through it. Bones Fork has the distinction of flowing in a southwesterly direction and being part of the Pee Dee River watershed. Most NC Sandhill streams flow into either the Cape Fear or the Lumber River watersheds. The botanical diversity there is rich with old growth longleafs, streamhead pocosins with bald cypress and gum trees and many wildflowers. I've even seen galax (which is more typical of the mountains), 3 species of pitcher plants, wiregrass, dwarf Fothergilla, and Michaux's sumach. Its been years since I drove (carefully) there with my Honda Civic and the roads may be rough and require 4WD. I would also suggest consulting with a topographic map before visiting this location. A state prison of the east side of MacDonald Church Road is a landmark for turning west off the paved road onto a dirt road.
Another more accessible place to see longleafs, wiregrass, wildflowers and possibly red-cockaded woodpeckers is on the north side of Fayetteville, NC in the eastern portion of Carvers Creek State Park off of US 401.
One of the most northerly outposts of naturally occurring longleafs that I know of, is close to where I used to live in Tidewater Virginia, south of the town of Zuni. I mention this with a caveat. Many of the trees were seedlings that originated in Louisiana and were planted during the 1940s. There are a few naturally occurring trees with "catface" scars on their trunks. The site is bordered on the west by the Blackwater River and on the south by a large longleaf restoration site of planted Virginia seedlings. Interestingly, wiregrass isn't native, this far north.
Thanks for your kind comments. My good friend, A.J. Bullard introduced me to Bones Fork about 10 years ago. We met in the parking lot at Weymouth Woods and carpooled to Bones Fork. Later in the fall of 2016, Dr. Larry Mellichamp was part of a group of NC native plant enthusiasts that visited Bones Fork on a Sunday (it was during hunting season and at that time Sunday hunting wasn't permitted on NC Gamelands.) Sadly, both A.J. and Larry are longer with us. Larry was one of the foremost authorities on pitcher plants that I know of. He'd even traveled to Borneo where some of the largest ones in the world are found. I may not be able to visit Borneo, but I need to return to Bones Fork before the weather turns hotter. One summer day, a few years ago, Hoffman, NC recorded 108 degrees F, the highest temperature on that day for any station in the US.
There is a mycologist at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga who is working on Chestnut Blight and Chestnut Restoration. I haven’t spoken to him lately, but I hope he has good news.
Alex, if you know of other sites in Mississippi, please let me know and I'll add them. I once visited some pitcher plant bogs in the DeSoto. They were great fun to see.
Please include the lower Suwannee national wildlife refuge in Chiefland Florida - part of the Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys national wildlife refuges. They have an ongoing longleaf pine restoration program, which is cited by the national wildlife refugees as a model program for long leaf pine restoration. I’m on the board of the LSCKNWR and I’ve contacted you before because of mutual friends, Jeff Dwyer and Elizabeth O’Grady, who have been great friends and so much more. I’ll pass this on the our refuge manager John Stark and other key volunteers. Btw - I am most grateful to Jeff for introducing me to you!
Thank you for doing this list. I have been wanting to visit a Longleaf Old Growth Forest for a while now and this is great information. My area of Florida (Tampa Bay region) is an over lapping area for Longleaf Pine and Pinus elliottii var. densa. Pinus elliottii is known s South Florida Slash Pine or Dade County Pine. It has similarities to Longleaf. I have read Ecology of a Cracker Childhood and Wild Card Quilt and loved them! Susan Lane
There is a PDF of longleaf destinations created for the Fort Stewart-Altamaha area that I could send you for additional reference if I can get an address to send it to.
Sending you a message….
Thanks for this post! Don't forget deep East Texas where there is a vibrant effort to plant and support what were in past huge longleaf stands, as well as to use prescribed burns to yield open forest understory. My son is a forester, wildland firefighter, and instructor on prescribed burning. My brother manages a longleaf tract. Both of them are involved in longloeaf organziations and activity. I have planted longleafs each house I have lived in.
Texas is in the house!
This is awesome! Thanks for sharing this impressive list! I had no idea there were so many of these still. I knew of Moody Forest from your work on that one. And Thomasville, but good to see there are so many in the panhandle.
I have loved the longleaf my whole life, and appreciated it more from your work and Charlie Seabrook's story long ago. Interesting to note in the comments from rangers about the Brantley fire, that it was so much worse because it was pine plantation rather than natural forest!
John, this may mean a road trip over to the Panhandle. Sometime when you're messing around, look up photos of "white-topped pitcher plants" at Eglin. Phenomenal.
Hi Janisse, I am a Vicki who would enjoy having your book if no other Vicki shows up.
Send me your address by Direct Message, okay?
Thank you so much for the work that went into this edition of your Substack. I'll share it and am filing it away for reference. I am blessed to have a pine cone from Old Tree in Weymouth Forest in Southern Pines, NC. It rests on my altar as a reminder of the connections among us all. Peace to you!
Yes! I remember your writing retreat in that gorgeous place. I'm glad a pine cone lives on your altar.
Janisse, there is a Longleaf pine restoration project in the Bankhead National Forest in Winston County, Alabama that is managed by the U. S. Forest Service. It is located on Highway 195 south of Double Springs. This is at the very northern tip of the range of Longleaf, as I understand it. About 15 years ago, Wild South (now Wild Alabama) partnered with the Forest Service to plant Longleaf in a plot in the area adjacent to the more mature Longleaf forest on Highway 195.
So good to know.
I did my masters thesis at Foscue Plantation in NC (https://foscueplantation.com). It was a naval stores plantation in the 1800s, and now they are working to restore the long leaf pines. It’s privately owned, but they give tours of the historic house on Thursdays and offer special events like Boy Scout camping (maybe in the forest?) Caveat- I was focused on the archaeology, not the trees. And it was 20 (!) years ago.
I'll check it out. Sounds like one to add. Thank you, Laura.
I have been scheming, trying to get to Ohoopee Dunes this spring, and this makes me want to go even more. If the rain lets up, I might go this weekend.
My additions to the list:
My beloved Fall Line Sandhills in Taylor County (Sandhills WMA) is a good examples with pine woods sparrows (aka Bachman's sparrows), great insect (especially butterflies) and reptile diversity, a nesting site for Southeastern kestrels, I think lark sparrows might breed there too. And the flowers! Many rare species, an autumn superbloom, as well as beautiful flowers in the spring.
Also, Sprewell Bluff WMA, where red-cockaded woodpeckers have recently been reintroduced. Lots of interesting botany there and high insect diversity.
Piedmont NWR as well, with red-cockaded woodpeckers and pinewoods sparrows both in the longleaf pines. The woodpeckers can be seen or at least heard near the visitors center and nearby trails, as well as at Pond 2A. (Plus there's a granite outcrop waterfall on the way to Pond 2A.) Also a great place of insect diversity, especially butterflies. A rare spring-flowering Verbesina grows there. Maybe Trillium reliquum but I'm not sure; I haven't seen it. There's a slope forest area that fills with Atamasco lilies and wild comfrey in late March/early April.
I think there are some other montane longleaf pine forests further north in Piedmont GA, like in Paulding County, but I haven't been there myself yet. It's on my list!
This is priceless. I will definitely add these to the list.
Include Silver Bluff Audubon Preserve in Jackson, SC. 3000 acres of managed LL, stork ponds, cockaded woodpeckers and educational presentations (Jenks consults with them).
Perfect! I'm adding it.
Thank you for this! My partner and I are now planning to visit Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve.
Yes, yes! Great idea!
I have a favorite place in the NC Sandhills Gamelands just south of Hoffman and west of US 1, that I refer to as "Bone's Fork" for the steam that flows through it. Bones Fork has the distinction of flowing in a southwesterly direction and being part of the Pee Dee River watershed. Most NC Sandhill streams flow into either the Cape Fear or the Lumber River watersheds. The botanical diversity there is rich with old growth longleafs, streamhead pocosins with bald cypress and gum trees and many wildflowers. I've even seen galax (which is more typical of the mountains), 3 species of pitcher plants, wiregrass, dwarf Fothergilla, and Michaux's sumach. Its been years since I drove (carefully) there with my Honda Civic and the roads may be rough and require 4WD. I would also suggest consulting with a topographic map before visiting this location. A state prison of the east side of MacDonald Church Road is a landmark for turning west off the paved road onto a dirt road.
Another more accessible place to see longleafs, wiregrass, wildflowers and possibly red-cockaded woodpeckers is on the north side of Fayetteville, NC in the eastern portion of Carvers Creek State Park off of US 401.
One of the most northerly outposts of naturally occurring longleafs that I know of, is close to where I used to live in Tidewater Virginia, south of the town of Zuni. I mention this with a caveat. Many of the trees were seedlings that originated in Louisiana and were planted during the 1940s. There are a few naturally occurring trees with "catface" scars on their trunks. The site is bordered on the west by the Blackwater River and on the south by a large longleaf restoration site of planted Virginia seedlings. Interestingly, wiregrass isn't native, this far north.
You are a treasure chest of information. What beautiful suggestions. I'm going to add them. xo, J
Thanks for your kind comments. My good friend, A.J. Bullard introduced me to Bones Fork about 10 years ago. We met in the parking lot at Weymouth Woods and carpooled to Bones Fork. Later in the fall of 2016, Dr. Larry Mellichamp was part of a group of NC native plant enthusiasts that visited Bones Fork on a Sunday (it was during hunting season and at that time Sunday hunting wasn't permitted on NC Gamelands.) Sadly, both A.J. and Larry are longer with us. Larry was one of the foremost authorities on pitcher plants that I know of. He'd even traveled to Borneo where some of the largest ones in the world are found. I may not be able to visit Borneo, but I need to return to Bones Fork before the weather turns hotter. One summer day, a few years ago, Hoffman, NC recorded 108 degrees F, the highest temperature on that day for any station in the US.
Thank you so much. I wish the American Chestnut were doing as well as the Longleaf Pine.
I have a copy of a coffee table book titled Longleaf Far as the Eye Can See.
Yes, agreed, Ray. Long live the American chestnut. What a loss that has been. Also, I love the longleaf photo book!!!
There is a mycologist at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga who is working on Chestnut Blight and Chestnut Restoration. I haven’t spoken to him lately, but I hope he has good news.
I think I'll add that to the list of resources.
Thank you. Great informative post.
Thank you for this! Very exciting. I’m a “piney woods” native of mississippi and how small the list for my state is makes me want to cry!
Alex, if you know of other sites in Mississippi, please let me know and I'll add them. I once visited some pitcher plant bogs in the DeSoto. They were great fun to see.
Please include the lower Suwannee national wildlife refuge in Chiefland Florida - part of the Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys national wildlife refuges. They have an ongoing longleaf pine restoration program, which is cited by the national wildlife refugees as a model program for long leaf pine restoration. I’m on the board of the LSCKNWR and I’ve contacted you before because of mutual friends, Jeff Dwyer and Elizabeth O’Grady, who have been great friends and so much more. I’ll pass this on the our refuge manager John Stark and other key volunteers. Btw - I am most grateful to Jeff for introducing me to you!
Great suggestion, Denise. Will do. Love to Jeff & Elizabeth if you talk to them. j--
Thank you for doing this list. I have been wanting to visit a Longleaf Old Growth Forest for a while now and this is great information. My area of Florida (Tampa Bay region) is an over lapping area for Longleaf Pine and Pinus elliottii var. densa. Pinus elliottii is known s South Florida Slash Pine or Dade County Pine. It has similarities to Longleaf. I have read Ecology of a Cracker Childhood and Wild Card Quilt and loved them! Susan Lane
Yes, you're right on the border of the range, down there in Tampa. Long live longleaf! And Pinus elliotii.