Today, existing forest covers approximately 85 percent of the 2,100 acres. The forest is predominantly loblolly pine on the uplands with significant intrusions of native species hardwoods and native shrubs such as laurel, rhododendron, sweet shrub and blueberry. Hardwoods include many varieties of oak and maple, tulip poplar, black walnut, Carolina silverbell, beech, river birch, dogwood and sycamore. Majestic hemlocks follow the waterways.

Part of the great charm of Walnut Creek Preserve comes from the many wooded coves that contain hundreds of native plant species along creek sides and adjacent slopes. The foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountain chain offer a topography and climate that support an astounding variety of plant life. Dr. Gillian Newberry, Professor of Botany at the University of South Carolina-Upstate, has spent months walking in the Preserve. Dr. Newberry has to date catalogued more than 500 varieties of plants, including some rare and one endangered species (the White Walnut or Butternut). Dr. Newberry has expressed great excitement about the preservation of this tract with its multitude of native species. Thanks to wise stream bank management practices by the timber company, stream banks have been left relatively undisturbed for many years. Dr. Newberry and the Stricklands are working on an agreement to allow students from USC-Upstate and other colleges and universities to do botanical research on the land, further assuring that rare species are identified and protected.


Fauna

The habitat of native animals is increasingly threatened in Western North Carolina as the few remaining large parcels of undeveloped land are slated for high density residential development. Part of Walnut Creek Preserve’s value lies in the rich diversity of wildlife. Deer, bobcat, grey and red fox, and multiple flocks of turkeys abound throughout the tract. The Preserve, with its inviting forest-pasture interfaces, is home to quail, bluebirds, hawks, finches, pileated and downy woodpeckers, hummingbirds and other species of birds, as well as transient migratory birds such as Canadian geese, mergansers and mallards which enjoy the Stricklands’ 4 acre lake on their way north or south each year. The coves and streams provide habitat for salamanders, box turtles, frogs, toads and crayfish, as well as the occasional skunk and snake. The lake is stocked with bass, bluegill and channel catfish. Nightfall brings out the whippoorwill cry, the hoot of the owl and the quiet swish of the bat pursuing its dinner. Each has its place and its place to be guarded by all humans who inhabit this precious piece of land.