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CONSERVATION
Today you can see the results of more than two decades of stewardship
and conservation on Blackacre's 170 acres. This land was cleared beginning
in the 18th century and then cultivated off and on until it became a
preserve in 1979. The homestead is concentrated in a little more than
two acres at the center of the site. Surrounding it are fields, forests,
orchards, ponds, and a creek.
Hay and clover are still cultivated in several fields at Blackacre,
and cattle continue to graze selected pastures, giving visitors a sense
of agricultural times at Blackacre. Other fields and pastures have been
retired from farm use, returning these habitats to native birds, insects
and other wildlife populations such as rabbits, groundhogs, foxes, and
white-tailed deer. It is not uncommon to spot red-tailed hawks circling
the fields in search of prey. Steep sloping pastures were once subject
to serious agricultural erosion, but an aggressive program has preserved
these areas. Small cedars and black locust trees have established themselves
as the land gently returns to its natural state.
Blackacre's ponds are home to a vocal population of bullfrogs and green
frogs. Stands of willow and cattails surround the water's edges, home
to whirligig beetles, dragonflies and an ancient snapping turtle. At
Jackson's pond, great blue herons can be spotted on tree branches during
spring and fall migration, and the woods north of the pond contain some
of the largest and oldest trees on the preserve.
 Below
the waterfall at Blackacre's eastern boundary, a creek meanders through
the woods and fields. Salamanders and crawfish make their home in the
waters, deer and raccoon live in the maturing woods, and wildflowers
and native shrubs grow along walking paths.
Easily spotted highlights for visitors include Blackacre's 145 species
of seasonal wildflowers and the barn's healthy population of nesting
barn swallows. The Presley Tyler Visitor's Center offers a complete
checklist to assist visitors in appreciating and identifying various
species. Currently, the species checklist records 145 wildflowers; 70
woody plants; 61 butterflies; 81 birds; 27 fish, reptiles and amphibians
and 19 mammals.
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© 2002-2008 Blackacre Foundation | Box 6053, Louisville, KY 40206