None The Nature Conservancy in Georgia Press Releases Search All Press Releases Sarah Lowry Communications Manager Phone: 404-873-7979 x226 E-mail: slowry@tnc.org

The Nature Conservancy Announces Tour of Broxton Rocks and Seeks Volunteer Tour Guides

Atlanta, GA — October 17, 2001 — The Georgia Chapter of The Nature Conservancy will hold their next guided tour of Broxton Rocks on Saturday, October 6, 2001.  In order to accommodate increasing demands for visitation, the organization is also looking for nature-loving volunteers to train as tour guides.  The Conservancy will host a workshop on Monday, September 24, from 7:00pm-8:30pm to train volunteer tour guides.

Broxton Rocks, a little known four-mile stretch of cliffs, waterfalls and lush greenery seems out of place in the sandy flatlands of South Georgia.  More than 450 species of plants have been discovered on the 3,049 acres of property, many of them surveyed and monitored by Dr. Frankie Snow, a professor at South Georgia College and Nature Conservancy volunteer.  Plant and animal lovers alike can be enticed to the area by rare or endangered species such as the grit portulaca, greenfly orchid, gopher tortoise, indigo snake and a wide variety of wildlife.

"I often get questions regarding outdoor activities in the area," said Joanne Lewis, director of community services for the City of Douglas All Tourism Division.  "I don't have to look far to promote our natural resources.  Broxton Rocks is a gem that's located right in our backyard."

The rugged sandstone outcrop is part of much larger formation called the Altamaha Grit, a giant swath of sandstone underlying a 15,000-square-mile section of the state's coastal plain.  Sculpted over centuries by the waters of Rocky Creek and erosion, Broxton Rocks contains steep cliffs that rise high next to the wooded floodplain, some reaching more than 40 feet.  The tops of these cliffs contain crevices ranging from a few inches to several feet wide.  The damp, shaded crevices between the rocks provide perfect growing conditions for two rare ferns: the delicate filmy fern, which normally occurs in the southern Appalachians, and the rare shoestring fern, usually found in the tropics.

Originally a longleaf pine and wiregrass plant community, the preserve was logged several times by previous owners, who established loblolly pine and slash pine plantations.  The Nature Conservancy purchased the property in 1992 and added additional acreage 1994.  The Conservancy is working to restore the original longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem by planting trees and conducting prescribed burns.

While The Nature Conservancy allows people to visit Broxton Rocks, arrangements must be made in advance with the Georgia Field Office.  Due to the sensitivity of the sandstone community, visits by individuals without a guide are not permitted.  The Nature Conservancy recognizes that the requests to visit the preserve have increased, and the organization is devising a plan to accommodate the growing demand.

"We have been extremely fortunate to have dedicated and knowledgeable volunteer guides such as Frankie Snow and local park rangers," said Steve Friedman, land protection specialist for The Nature Conservancy.  "However, we would like to train more volunteers to alleviate some of the time constraints placed on these individuals, and to allow for a more definite tour schedule."

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer tour guide, or if you would like to sign up for the tour guide workshop on September 24 or the guided tour on October 6th, please contact Beth Bays at 404-873-7979 ext. 224.

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