University of North Carolina, Wilmington
OP-10: Biodiversity

In the center of UNCW's campus is Bluethenthal Wildflower Preserve. In the fall of 1972, several of UNC Wilmington's biologists were concerned over the "progress" the university was making. New buildings, roads and parking lots necessary for the institution to grow had begun to invade its valuable natural areas. In their November 30, 1972, proposal, they state that "if encroachment on this last area is to be prevented, steps must be taken immediately to dedicate it as an inviolate preserve." They requested that the approximately ten acres surrounding the nature trail be dedicated as a wildflower preserve by the University's Board of Trustees and be "forever protected from all other uses." The Trustees supported this action and officially set aside the land in 1973. This area is still set aside to this day and contains a mix of bottomland hardwoods and loblolly/longleaf pine areas. The area is designated educational site for students and community members and is utilized in several courses as a hands-on learning tool. Students use the area to measure tree heights, take soil samples, and identify flora and fauna.

UNCW has 174.39 Acres of protected woods and wetland known as Ev-Henwood Nature Preserve. There are two self-guided learning trails The David Sieren Learning Trail and the Troy Henry Learning Trail are comprised of several trails with plant identification labels and learning stations that interpret and explain some of the natural features of Ev-Henwood. Each trail takes about two hours, and a 33-page group leader's manual is available. The preserve is open to the public for nature walks and educational experiences. One-third of the property has a joint easement with the Coastal Land Trust. These areas consist of Bottomland wetlands and stream (Town Creek), transitional areas to upland forests and old fields. The institution hosted a trail maintenance at the Ev-Henwood property in the Fall of 2023, with several student opportunities such as a Direct Independent Study to maintain the trail systems. Other than the wildflower preserve, UNCW owns 120 acres of Xeric Sandhill Scrub Coastal Fringe Variant, 40 acres of mixed pine, longleaf, and hardwoods, 38 acres of pocket forests and longleaf with mown areas, and 4 acres of wetlands, which are subject to Section 4 of the Clean Water Act.

The NC Natural Heritage Group describes the Long Leaf Pine Forest at UNCW as a Significant Natural Heritage Area with significant features being:

Endangered - Golden Crest (Lophiola aurea)

Vulnerable species, Southern Hognose Snake (Heterodon simus) 

Species of Concern (Federal) and Threatened (State), Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) 

Species of Concern, Pickering's Dawnflower (Stylisma pickeringii var. pickeringii)

Least Concern, Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

Least Concern, Pygmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius) 

Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) is secure globally but listed as vulnerable to secure in NC

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) is globally secure but listed as a State Rare species in NC

Two rare natural communities, Small Depression Pocosin and Vernal Pool, are also present.

UNC Wilmington maintains a large natural area (~160 acres or 64.7 ha) on the main campus as well as two preserves. The North Carolina Coastal Land Trust works with landowners to conserve lands with scenic, recreational, historic and/or ecological value. This organization has land that overlaps with Ev-Henwood Nature Preserve. Eastern North Carolina, and UNCW is home to unique wetlands and therefore also unique species. Bluethenthal Preserve is located on the Main Campus and is comprised of ~10 acres (4 ha) of hardwoods and mixed pines. Bluethenthal Wildflower Preserve is home to the vulnerable Venus Fly Trap, the Purple Pitcher Plant, the Eastern Box Turtle, the Fox Squirrel, the Pileated Woodpecker, and additional species. These species are important to the biodiversity of the area and provide the resources for the hands-on-learning experiences previously mentioned above. Ev-Henwood is located in Brunswick County approximately 15 miles (24 km) from campus and includes 174.4 acres (70.6 ha) of mixed pine and hardwoods, old fields, and bottomland wetlands. Ev-Henwood was used by southeastern North Carolina Indians, probably of a Sioux-speaking tribe. Game, fish and natural vegetation in the surrounding swamps and forests could have supported small families of hunters and gatherers inhabiting the region. Both preserves are important areas for floral and faunal diversity, but they are also of value to the community and UNCW as educational, cultural, and passive recreational sites. The main campus forested area is not under easement or preserve but it is managed to ensure its health and use by the University and Community for passive recreation, educational benefits, and for the health of an important part of the Xeric Sandhill Longleaf Ecosystem.

Methodologies that have been employed to assess and monitor species inlcude using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services site at  https://www.fws.gov/office/eastern-north-carolina-ecological-services and other sources for the lists of endangered species. Additionally for identification of endangered and vulnerable species of plants there are assesments with the Ecology, Botany, and Taxonomy labs at UNCW. Fauna is identified using traps and drift nets that are ocassionally set out to monitor occurance and acitivity. 

The scope of these assessments covers all of UNCW's main campus including the Bluethenthal Wildflower Preserve as well as the EV Henwood Preserve.

The rotational burn plan for our forest has been set up since 2011. Prescribed burns are the best way to manage and improve the health of the fire-dependent longleaf pine/wiregrass ecosystem. Since the longleaf pine ecosystem is globally threatened this is very important. We have also started a program to remove invasive species and improve the health of our landscape with much reduced use of pesticides/herbicides. UNC Wilmington has committed to maintaining and even slightly increasing the longleaf ecosystems on its property through best management practices (prescribed fire, mechanical controls where burning is not possible, and through the use of integrated pest management) and through the replacement of lost trees to storms and pests as well as additional plantings to increase the number of longleaf pines on the main campus and at Ev-Henwood Preserve. At the EV-Henwood Preserve precisely, UNCW has a goal to reestablish 5 acres of longleaf forest with a density of 200 to 350 trees per acre to maximize the benefit to wildlife. To accomplish this goal, since 2013, UNCW has committed to plant 125 longleaf pines every year. UNCW has planted 727 longleaf pines on 3.2 acres, which is a density of 230 trees per acre (Number's from 2021). These numbers do not include how UNCW lost 130 trees to Hurricane Florence at the EV Henwood Preserve, which resulted in a slight deviation from the progress being made. UNCW is one of twenty-seven institutions recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree Campus Higher Education University. UNCW initiated a Campus Tree Advisory Committe to uphold this certification including students, faculty, staff, and a member of the NC Cooperative Extension. Each year, UNCW Sustainability and partners participate in a tree planting. In 2020, 567 trees were planted followed by 165 longleaf pines on campus and 225 longleaf pines at Ev-Henwood in Brunswick County in 2021. In 2022, 200 more were planted at Ev-Henwood. UNCW remains consistent in efforts to uphold and exemplify this certification.

Roger Shew, note the attached document. https://uncw.edu/about/know-us/campus/ev-henwood-preserve https://uncw.edu/about/know-us/campus/bluethenthal

Additionally, Roger Shew looked over all previous information through email communication and highlighted areas to change and add from the prior submission.