When we first moved to our house, all around us was swampland with a few agricultural fields out front. After twenty years of living there, the owners of the swampland have been aging and a few have passed on. Unfortunately, although we tried to convince folks to do something to conserve the swamp, they ignored us and their heirs have been clear cutting the swamp. It’s sad, but that’s the way of the world.
We couldn’t afford to buy all of the swamp, but after they clear cut the swamp behind our house, we purchased part of that land. It will be 150 to 200 years before it becomes as beautiful with mature trees as it was, but we’re doing the best we can to restore it.
It was cut in 2017 and here is what it looked like after being clear cut.
The video was shot using a small, toy drone, so I apologize for the quality (or lack thereof). It shows what was left after the loggers got through with their jobs. You’ll notice woods/swamp on the right–that’s owned by another elderly neighbor, so we expect it will be clear cut as well sometime in the next few years. I try not to think about it.
This last February, we planted close to 20,000 trees, mostly cypress and various kinds of oaks to “jump start” the restoration process.
Here is what it looked like this summer (2020).
Right now, the trees are about waist high on me and there is a lot of scrubby vegetation. That’s not all bad because the area was loaded with Common Yellowthroats, Blue Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, and even a few Yellow-breasted Chats.
Common Yellowthroat male
We also planted millet at one end of the cutover for the Mourning Doves and other birds, and we’ve got some rice planted in some wet areas for ducks such as Wood Ducks.
I hope we can ultimately see some results and restore some habitat for the diverse and beautiful creatures in the area. Habitat loss is the biggest problem faced by wildlife and as our population swells, it only gets worse.
I’m just glad we still have some wild areas left where I can still see some of the wonders of nature, and to make it even more magical, they are right in my own backyard.
