Description
Located inland from the beaches and marshes of the Bayshores lies the Conservancy's Lummis Ponds Nature Preserve, where stands of age-old maple, oak, magnolia and holly trees can still be found. Called the Cumberland Forest, these trees pre-date European settlement. Numerous rare animals and plants including federally endangered swamp pink (Hellonias bullata) thrive in the forests, abandoned farm fields and wetlands here.
Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
Spanning nearly 1,300 acres, Lummis Ponds Nature Preserve protects old-growth woodlands in the Cumberland Forest. A mosaic of thick shrubs, towering sweet gums and oaks and abandoned farm fields, the nature preserve is a haven for some of our state's most threatened plants and animals. Thousands of birds pass through the Bayshores, nesting and feeding in these dense woods during their long migrations. Several endangered species rely on the pristine wetlands found at the preserve for survival.