Sams Lake Sanctuary is Site for Nature Photography Tips October 30

Saturday, October 30th, 7:30 am
"Fall Colors & Close-ups"

Donna Rosser, The Barefoot Photographer, will give nature photography pointers at Sams Lake Sanctuary on October 30th. Come ready to learn and loaded up with your camera gear.

Be sure to enter your best images in Nature, Undisturbed 2011.


Photo: Line Creek in Drought, The Barefoot Photographer


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Birds of Prey Program at Sams Lake Saturday Nov. 6th

Hosted by Southern Conservation Trust

Southern Conservation Trust presents Dale Arrowood and his Winged Ambassadors at Sams Lake Sanctuary on Saturday afternoon November 6th.

The Winged Ambassadors are a group of trained non-releasable birds of prey that will perform soaring free flight demonstrations over the wetlands. Master Falconer Dale Arrowood will showcase the differences and similarities between a variety of raptor and owl families.

Birds will include Quasimodo the black vulture, various species of owls, several hawks and a pair of kookaburras native to Australia. Don’t miss the gorgeous Gyr falcon, the largest falcon that is most popular for hunting. These birds are not “trick animals” - they simply do what comes naturally to them.

Sams Lake Sanctuary, a restored wetland habitat and certified wildlife sanctuary, is owned and managed by Southern Conservation Trust, a non-profit community land trust based in Fayette County. It is open dawn to dusk and is the home of deer, wild turkey, beaver, and many birds. Sams Lake is on Old Senoia Road, south of Redwine Road just outside Fayetteville.

This exciting and educational program begins at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 6th, weather permitting. Bring your camera to capture close-ups of these majestic birds. Donations will be requested for Winged Ambassadors Environmental for care of the birds.

For more information and directions, visit the Trust’s website sctlandtrust.org, call 770-486-7774 or
email info@sctlandtrust.org
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Let wildlife call your landscape home

It seems a little strange writing a landscaping article about attracting wildlife. I’ve spent much of my career telling folks how to keep critters out of their landscape.

As a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension horticulturist, I get lots of questions about how to stop deer from eating flowers and how to deter squirrels from digging up bulbs.

Lately, however, I’ve seen a noticeable shift in landscape- and wildlife-related calls. People actually want to encourage wildlife into their landscape and enjoy bragging to neighbors and family about furry creatures visiting their landscape and feeders. As a wildlife enthusiast, I think this is a great trend.

You can have an attractive landscape and still make it eco-friendly for wildlife. You just have to realize that some plants are like salad bars to deer.

All animals look for three critical elements: food, water and shelter. Many landscape plants add beauty to your landscape while providing one or more of the basic elements.

Water is critical. Incorporate a water element by adding a small pond and a few bird baths. Deer, raccoons, birds and opossums are just a few of the critters that may visit your landscape watering hole.

Ponds don’t have to be large or fancy. Water tubs from farm supply stores or even metal wash tubs placed into holes dug in the ground make a miniature oasis for many animals.

To help fight evaporation and keep the water cool, put bird baths in the shade.

Food is the next major element to attract wildlife. Depending on what wildlife you like and what lives nearby, many different plants can draw them into your landscape.

Birds love to feast on berry-producing plants. Consider shrubs that fruit, such as Japanese hollies, inkberry, phyracantha and wax myrtle. There are many others to choose from.

Squirrels and deer appreciate nut-bearing trees such as oak, hickory and Chinese chestnut. It’s also good to include some fruit producers like crabapple, plum and persimmon trees or muscadine vines.

If you have room, plant a small food plot of wheat, clover, rye or oats to attract deer or turkey. Planting these near escape cover encourages daylight feeding. A one-eighth to one-fourth acre food plot provides a good food source year ‘round.

I set a digital trail camera close to my food plots to capture images of what visits when I’m not around. These cameras, available at sporting goods stores, are fun and easy to use.

Humming birds are also fun to watch and are easy to attract. Humming birds love plants that flower for a long time. They prefer trumpet-shaped blooms. Vines such as trumpet creeper, honeysuckle, crepe myrtle, or Carolina jasmine bring them in. You can add hummingbird feeders visible from your window.

Set up feeders for birds, squirrels and whatever else shows up. There are many great feeder designs out there to compliment any landscape design. I like natural looking wooden feeders.

Cover or shelter is the final element that wildlife needs. They need a place to escape from enemies, find refuge from weather and feel secure while they rest.

Different animals need different types of cover. Woodpeckers and flying squirrels like dead trees. Rabbits make nests in tall grass and weedy areas. Deer like to spend their afternoons in a secure shrubby area.

Include trees, bushes, brush piles and rock piles to attract more wildlife. Place different sizes of bird houses around the landscape, too, to bring in feathered friends.

Provide water, food and shelter, and your landscape can quickly become a wildlife sanctuary.

By Bob Westerfield
University of Georgia

Bob Westerfield is a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension consumer horticulturist.

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Fall Bird Walk at Sams Lake, Fayette’s Newest Preserve

Join fellow nature lovers on a fun and informative Bird Walk on Saturday, October 4th, 2008 at 9 am. Expert bird caller David Cree will lead the guided walk at the Sams Lake Bird Sanctuary, Fayette’s newest preserve just opened to the public by Southern Conservation Trust.

Sams Lake, donated to the Trust by the Sams family, is the site of a wetland restoration project recently completed by the City of Atlanta. Already the shallow ponds draw many native and migrating bird species, including green and blue heron, egrets, and hawks. You may also see wild turkey, deer and beaver.

Southern Conservation Trust is a local conservation organization that owns, manages and protects over 1300 acres of environmentally sensitive land in the Southern Crescent. As a community land trust the Trust also works with willing property owners to protect their land with a conservation easement that may provide significant tax benefits.

Saturday’s participants should bring binoculars and meet at the Sams Lake Preserve parking lot on Old Senoia Rd south of Fayetteville, between Harp and Hawn Roads, at 9 am. For more information about community conservation and Southern Conservation Trust, call 770-486-7774, email info@sctlandtrust.org or visit the website www.sctlandtrust.org.

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