Christine Sevilla Wetlands Preserve by Steven Daniel Over 20 years ago the Caledonia Wetlands became the first preserve of the nascent Genesee Land Trust. Yet through the years other GLT properties have become better known. This is about to change. For the past nine months, GLT has been working with other community members to create a lasting memorial to honor our friend Christine Sevilla - environmentalist, artist, activist. In conjunction with Christine’s family, the group decided that a high quality wetland, preserved in perpetuity, would be a fitting tribute to Christine’s life and work. Gay and I visited and considered a variety of properties throughout the region. We hoped to find a place that best met criteria the group had set out: a quality natural area which included significant wetlands comprised of mainly native species; a place accessible to the public that could continue Christine’s work of public outreach; a property that was not isolated, but part of a larger ecological system; a place that Christine would have been drawn to. The GLT Caledonia Preserve was the last site we visited; it was the only one already owned by GLT. It resonated with us. We were surprised at the variety of wetland habitats on this 23 acre parcel. The preserve includes a wet meadow with uncommon plants and limestone at the surface, a diverse swamp forest, a marsh, a shaded woodland stream. Much of the area is underlain by marl, a limy deposit that can be an indicator of unusual plant diversity. The preserve is contiguous with nearly 1000 acres of undeveloped wetlands. The planning group subsequently visited, and agreed that this property was the lasting memorial we were hoping to find. Christine would have loved this preserve. The wetlands are unusually diverse - the swamp forest includes uncommon trees, ferns, and an excellent variety of native plants. In a few visits this summer we have recorded nearly 30 species of butterflies, including giant swallowtail and a population of meadow fritillary, a locally rare species. A red-headed woodpecker, a rare nesting bird in our region, was observed with its fledgling. The variety of dragonflies at the pond overlook can be mesmerizing. There is excellent potential for an interesting interpretive trail and boardwalk. Although only twenty miles from downtown, the preserve feels remote. It is a sanctuary. In July the GLT Board officially renamed the preserve the Christine Sevilla Wetlands Preserve. We envision raising additional funds to build an interpretive trail, kiosk, and to hopefully expand the preserve by acquiring additional properties. Sometime this fall we will plan an official “rededication” of the preserve. We hope to have our first volunteer work day soon. Stay tuned! |
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GLT Caledonia Article |