Wildflower Preserve

On the campus of University of North Carolina Wilmington, there is a nature trail that runs east from Hoggard Hall. Many professors used this trail to help familiarize students with native plants and animals. As UNCW expanded, the size of the trail began to shrink, bringing concern to many professors. Expressing their worry, they made a proposal, "if encroachment on this last area is to be prevented, steps must be taken immediately to dedicate it as an inviolate preserve." With the biology department’s concerns in mind, Dr. Wagoner proposed the idea of the preservation to Janet Bluethenthal. Mrs. Bluethenthal discussed with Chancellor Wagoner her desire to donate to the University. Dr. Wagoner took this opportunity and proposed the Wildflower …show more content…
Amy Hotz, a staff writer for StarNews, describes the biodiversity of the preserve, “Along these paths, dominated by the trees they’re named after, are micro-habitats - a pond pine forest, an evergreen shrub thicket, a savannah, a pocosin, red maple/sweet gum woods, a canebrake and a cypress low-land.” These micro-habitats are working hard to protect organisms like the venus fly trap, pitcher plants, black gum, loblolly pines, mosquitos, herons, ibises, red cardinals, and other native species. The loblolly pine and the venus fly trap can be found in the pocosin area of the preserve, which is a wetland area with sand based soil. The savannah micro-habitat holds the black gum tree. The pitcher plant, along with mosquitos, can be found in the wetland part of the preserve, like near a pond. The vast variety of biodiversity found in the preserve located on UNCW campus demonstrates our need for further biodiversity conservation, outside of the campus. Without biodiversity, our basic needs of air, food, and water are put at stake. For example, loss of biodiversity can cause climate change and habitat loss, which are both directly linked to sources of air, food, and