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Places We Protect

Splinter Hill Bog Preserve

Alabama

White-topped Pitcher Plants This carniverous plant can be found at Splinter Hill Bog Preserve in Alabama. © Carlton Ward Jr.

The Ruth McClellan Abronski Splinter Hill Bog Preserve was renamed in 2014 to honor a supporter who donated her estate to conservation.

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Overview

Description

Splinter Hill Bog is home to a variety of habitats, from sandy upland longleaf pine forests to seepage bogs to inundated small stream swamp forests. Much of the site is covered by some of the largest and most visually impressive white-topped pitcher plant bogs in the world.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site

The Splinter Hill Bog Preserve and the adjacent state-owned Forever Wild Preserve contain some of the most intact seepage bog communities remaining on the Gulf Coast. Numerous rare and declining species associated with seepage bogs, upland longleaf forest and coastal blackwater streams are known to occur within this site.

What the Conservancy Is Doing

The Conservancy is working in cooperation with Alabama's Forever Wild Program to acquire and manage a significant portion of the remaining natural habitat in the Splinter Hill Bog area. To date the State of Alabama and The Nature Conservancy have acquired over 2,100 contiguous acres and will work cooperatively to manage this property using periodic prescribed fire and working to control non-native invasive species such as cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica).

About the Preserve's Name

In 2014, Splinter Hill Bog Preserve was renamed in honor of Mary Ruth McClellan Abronski. A native of Clay County, Alabama, Mrs. Abronski was a computer specialist for Sun Oil Company in Philadelphia for 37 years. She and her husband Dick Abronski retired to Fairhope, Alabama, and are donating their estate to conservation.

Access

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

May be closed periodically while controlled burns are being conducted.

Hours

Dawn till dusk

Highlights

Home to some of the most spectacular pitcher plant bogs in the world.

Explore our work in this region

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The Preserve is open dawn to dusk, but may be closed periodically while prescribed burns are being conducted. Dress to get you feet wet. Long pants and insect repellant are recommended. Temperatures from March-October can range from 30's in early March to mid-90's by June and July.

Plants

This preserve is known to be home to over 12 species of carnivorous plants, including 5 species of pitcher plants, 2 species of butterworts and several species of sundews. Some of the unique and rare plants known from the site include: Chapman’s butterwort, white-topped pitcher plant, Wherry’s sweet pitcher plant, purple pitcher plant, parrot pitcher plant, yellow trumpets, sundews, Chapman's butterwort, spoonflower, pineland bogbutton, Drummond’s yellow-eyed grass, Chapman’s yellow-eyed grass, and many others.

Animals

Several rare animals frequent the preserve, including Bachman’s sparrow, Florida pine snake and gopher tortoise. Eastern cottonmouths can be abundant in the small stream drains so proceed with caution. During the spring and summer, the most common birds observed are summer tanagers, indigo buntings, prairie warblers, yellow throated warblers, pine warblers, eastern towhees, and prothonotary warblers (in the swamps).