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Photo by Johnny Randall <br />This site Includes two valuable wetland areas ---- Big Oak <br />Woods and Morgan Creek Floodplain Forrest - -- -that are <br />part of the NC Botanical Garden's Mason Farm BiologicalI <br />Reserve. The Reserve and adjacent undeveloped <br />tracts adjoin with the 41,000-acre New Hope Game <br />Lands to the south, creating landscape connectivity <br />that ampllifies the ecollogiicall vallue of these wetlands. <br />Mason Farm Wetlands are highly significant both for <br />wildlife habitat and for water quality. Big Oak Woods is <br />one of the llargest tracts of mature bottomland swamp <br />forest remaining in the IPiiedrmont, with some trees <br />exceeding 300 years of age. Morgan Creek Floodplain <br />Forest is part of one of the largest, most intact tracts of <br />Piedmont swamp forest remaining, and allso Includes <br />mature IPiiedrmont alluvialI forest. <br />Four -toed salamander photo by Alvin Brasswell <br />species of breeding birds have been documented <br />at this site, Including American redstart, Louisiana <br />waterthrush, lPhilladellphia vireo, prothonotary warbler, <br />Swainson's warbler, northern parulla, hairy and pilleated <br />woodpeckers, great horned owll, barred owll, woodcock <br />and red-shoulldered hawk. More than 50 other animal <br />speciies use these wetlands, Including the regionally <br />rare bobcat, marsh rabbit, river otter, American mink, <br />and four-toed salamander, a state-llisted species of <br />srpeciiall concern. <br />Impacts from continued suburban development in <br />the area ---- Including the spread of invasive species and <br />stormwater runoff ---- may affect the ecollogiicall integrity <br />of these wetlands. Invasive species such as privet have <br />already gotten a foothold in parts of the site. <br />These wetlands are (located east and south of the NC <br />Botanical Garden's Education Center. Access is by <br />permit only, available for free at the Education Center <br />reception desk. For details, see incbg.uinc.edu/rmasoin- <br />farrrm- biiollogiicall- rreserrve. <br />SOURCES <br />Inventory of Significant Natural Areas and Wildlife Habitats <br />Orange County, NC <br />North Carolina Botanical Garden <br />C a olin a <br />NVe,--L'- I ands <br />