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Harvell and Pellerree Jackson Sandhills Preserve

Scarlet Basil
Scarlet basil
© Rebecca Stowe / TNC

Donated to The Nature Conservancy in 2006, the 108 acre Harvell and Pellerree Jackson Sandhills preserve is an example of rare sand dune-like habitat.

Location
Northern George County, approximately 10 miles northwest of Lucedale, Mississippi, within the East Gulf Coastal Plain

Plants
Species of concern found in this sand dune-like habitat:

  • Scarlet basil (Calamintha coccinea): A fragrant plant with red flowers loved by hummingbirds and butterflies.
  • Beach rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides): This aromatic, evergreen shrub provides food for birds, black bear, harvester ants and mice. It also provides nesting sites for northern cardinal, grey catbird, yellow-rumped warbler, common yellowthroat and mourning dove. Although it resembles the culinary rosemary it is not used in cooking.
  • Gulf rockrose (Helianthemum arenicola): Also called frostweed because it exudes sap in fall that forms ice crystals around the plant stem.
  • Gopher apple (Licania michauxii): Commonly eaten by gopher tortoises and other small animals.
  • Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia stricta): Its yellow flowers are visited by insects and hummingbirds. 
  • Sandhill beakrush (Rhynchospora sp.)
  • Wire sedge (Carex tenax)
  • Ground lichen: Various species of ground lichen are found in this habitat. Lichen fill an important role in the environment by collecting nutrients such as nitrogen from the air and putting it back into the soil where it can be used by plants.
  • Turkey Oak (Quercus laevis): Named for its 3-lobed leaves which resemble a turkey's foot. The acorns are important food for wildlife such as: black bear, white-tailed deer, northern bobwhite and wild turkey.
  • Golden aster (Chrysopsis scabrella): It is attractive to bees, butterflies and birds.

A pitcher plant bog is also found on the property.

Invertebrates

  • Harvester ants: This species of ant is named for their practice of gathering seeds as food and prefers to nest in desert like habitat.
  • Gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae): This striking, bright orange butterfly takes its name from the fact that migrating flights of the butterflies are sometimes seen over the Gulf of Mexico.

Animals

  • Gopher tortoise
  • Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
  • Fence lizard

Other animals that may be found on the site include species such as: glass lizard, black pinesnake, coral snake, six-lined racerunners, and oldfield mice.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
Rare features in the Mississippi landscape, sandhills with their characteristic deep sands provide habitat for plant and animal species not found elsewhere. In addition to species characteristic of inland sandhills, this preserve also contains several rare plants normally found on relic barrier islands, even though this preserve is 40 miles inland. Geologists at the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality advise that this site was either a river or coastline millions of years ago. Unique sites such as this contribute to the overall biodiversity of Mississippi.

The Conservancy's work at the Harvell and Pellerree Jackson Sandhills Preserve
The property is in relatively pristine condition. The Conservancy will conduct a species inventory that will include recording gopher tortoise burrows and identifying any endangered plants. Surveying the area for invasive or non-native species will also take place as a management plan for the property is completed.

The site is one of 50 sites participating in the Cactus Moth Early Detection and Reporting Network coordinated by the U.S. Geographical Service and Mississippi State University. Cactus moth is an invasive non-native species that threatens all 63 species of prickly pear cactus in the United States. Participating sites provide the opportunity to detect spread of the cactus moth early so that prompt eradication efforts can be implemented. The University of Southern Mississippi, Mississippi State University and the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science have expressed an interest in conducting research at the site.

Newest Preserve Home to Rare Species

For more information on the Harvell and Pellerree Jackson Sandhills Preserve, please contact Rebecca Stowe, Director of Stewardship.

The Nature Conservancy

Mississippi Stewardship Program
138 Main Street Merrill
Lucedale, MS  39452
(601) 947-3111