People and Nature

Learning about Land with Blakely

December 27, 2023

By Blakely Durham, Education and Outreach Intern Fall 2023   It’s hard to imagine now, but prairies used to dominate the Piedmont. These areas were characterized by disturbance from grazing bison and frequent fires. Fires were initially the result of lightning but were then incorporated into the land management practices of Indigenous peoples.     Fire […]

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Bridging the Gap at Swift Creek Bluffs

October 14, 2023

By Cara Lewis, Senior Communications Manager Often described as an urban oasis, Swift Creek Bluffs Nature Preserve is a hidden gem inside the rapidly growing Triangle metropolis of Cary, NC. One of TLC’s smallest preserves, this precious and protected space is bound by housing developments, a golf course, and the increasingly busy Holly Springs Road.  […]

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Species Spotlight: Cuckoos in nature and song

August 9, 2023

By Laura Warman, Grants Manager “Oh the cuckoo, she’s a pretty bird. She warbles as she flies.  She never says cuckoo, ‘till the fourth day of July”.  Cuckoos and their calls are the subject of a surprising number of songs, poems and stories, and they feature heavily in different mythologies (from ancient Greece to the […]

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Community Action Against Invasive Autumn Olive

August 4, 2023

One of TLC’s most popular public properties, Brumley Nature Preserve is home to 673 acres of mature hardwood, young pine, and alluvial forests that surround streams, wetlands, and ponds. It is also home to thriving populations of invasive species under its forest canopy. From Japanese stiltgrass to tree of heaven, these invaders and others continue […]

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