WKU Dedicates Upper Green
River Biological Preserve
April 19, 2004
Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University biologists celebrated a dream come true Saturday at the Upper Green River Biological Preserve.
The University has been working for several years to purchase several tracts of land along the Green River in Hart County. Members of the Department of Biology as well as University, state and local officials dedicated the preserve Saturday afternoon.
"It is a glorious day and it is a glorious way for us to celebrate the Upper Green River Biological Preserve and Earth Day 2004 in the Commonwealth of Kentucky," said LaJuana Wilcher, secretary of the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet and a WKU biology graduate.
The 671-acre preserve, located along the Green River, will protect a unique part of Kentucky's ecosystem that includes several endangered species, will help restore the American chestnut tree, will provide research opportunities for WKU faculty and students, will offer educational outreach to school children and residents, and will maintain the Gardner house, one of Hart County's oldest homes.
"The research, educational and environmental protection opportunities are very important for this area," said Ouida Meier, co-director of the preserve.
WKU President Gary Ransdell thanked Wilcher, who presented a check on behalf of the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund Board, for the $1.116 million grant provided to purchase the land.
"The benefits of protecting this important and biologically diverse area are truly immeasurable," Dr. Ransdell said.
Over the past eight years, the fund has helped preserve and protect 20,000 acres in 73 Kentucky projects, said Carl Wedekind, vice chair of the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund Board. The funds that the board disperses come from state environmental fines and the purchase of
Kentucky nature license plates.
House Speaker Jody Richards congratulated all involved for their preservation work. "Your efforts have been priceless because what you are saving is priceless," he said.
The site near Mammoth Cave National Park is home to seven federally listed endangered species – five mussel species, the Mammoth Cave shrimp and the grey bat – as well as numerous fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and plant species. A large spring known as the McCoy Blue Hole empties an underground karst drainage of 22,024 acres.
The University is partnering with Mammoth Cave National Park on two restoration projects at the preserve. The first is establishing a mussel-rearing facility on the Green River to help mussels grow and survive.
"One of the mussel species may well be the rarest animal on earth," said Albert Meier, associate biology professor and co-director of the preserve. "There have only been two individuals found in the last 30 years."
The second project is restoring the American chestnut tree, which has been nearly extinct from the eastern United States since a blight in the 1930s. Nuts from a recently discovered American chestnut tree in Adair County will be planted in the preserve. Young chestnut trees were planted at Saturday's events.
"If successful, Western and Mammoth Cave National Park will be responsible for a scientific marvel that will allow future generations to again enjoy the majesty of the American chestnut," Dr. Ransdell said.
Park Superintendent Ron Switzer said the projects are part of a growing relationship between Mammoth Cave National Park and Western.
In the past three years, the park and the University have developed 11 cooperative agreements on science, research, preservation and environmental education, Switzer said.
"I and my staff consider it a great privilege to partner with Western and Dr. Ransdell on so many mutually beneficial programs for the furtherance of education and science not only for our two institutions but for the world community at large," Switzer said.
For more information, contact Ouida Meier at (270) 745-5948. More WKU news is available on the World Wide Web at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via E-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
