Trail: The Big Loop in the WoodsLength: 7 milesClass: A - All purposeRating: 3 - StrenuousPet friendly: YesWheelchair accessible: YesMap: Flatwoods Hiking Spree mapVisit the Hiking Spree section to find out information on how to register Phone lines temporarily downThe phone lines are temporarily out of service Please contact Ranger assistance at (813) 426-5583 Best known for its seven-mile paved loop road Flatwoods Park provides a nature-filled getaway The Morris Bridge well-field is located within the Park and well-houses can be observed along the trail A two-mile paved extension connects Bruce B Park activities and features include a paved bicycle loop You can enter Flatwoods Park from one of two access points: Flatwoods Trail Map Elise Bennett, (727) 755-6950, [email protected] Lawsuit Launched to Rescue Critically Imperiled Florida Salamanders Trump Administration Firings Threaten Frosted Flatwoods Salamanders TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— The Center for Biological Diversity notified the Trump administration today that it intends to sue over ongoing violations of the Endangered Species Act that are harming federally protected frosted flatwoods salamanders at St Marks National Wildlife Refuge in north Florida the refuge permitted a frosted flatwoods salamander breeding pond to be mowed over with heavy machinery and sprayed with toxic herbicides during the species’ breeding season when salamanders are traveling from the pine forests into these ephemeral ponds to mate This pond was protected as critical habitat for the salamander The salamanders’ outlook will only get worse as more employees from the already understaffed refuge are fired under the Trump administration “The damage to one of the few known frosted flatwoods salamander breeding ponds is truly shocking and I expect these horror stories will become more common as Trump keeps firing refuge caretakers,” said Elise Bennett Florida and Caribbean director and senior attorney at the Center “It appears that this egregious mismanagement stemmed from a critical gap in experience and expert oversight at St A chronic lack of funding and staff are putting these lovely speckled frosties at imminent risk of extinction and Trump’s slash-and-burn ideology will only make it worse.” The Endangered Species Act prohibits federal agencies from authorizing activities that will jeopardize a protected species’ survival and recovery or destroy protected habitat they need to survive the Service has provided no records that it completed a required endangered species formal consultation to ensure it would not jeopardize the species or destroy critical habitat following the directives of the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency approximately 420 staff were fired from the U.S including staff working to protect and list threatened and endangered species This move further weakens Service staff and the National Wildlife Refuge System which have been underfunded and understaffed for years The primary threats to the salamander are habitat degradation from inadequate management extreme weather like extended droughts and powerful hurricanes driven by climate change and a lack of funding to address recovery actions needed to secure a future for the species Originally protected federally in 1999 as the “flatwoods salamander,” the frosted flatwoods salamander received threatened species protections in 2009 following a taxonomic reclassification the frosted flatwoods salamander was found in 25 tenuous populations in Florida By 2015 this estimate was reduced to only nine known populations scattered across these three states though it is unclear whether the one historical population in South Carolina still persists in 2019 Service biologists recommended reclassifying frosted flatwoods salamanders from threatened to endangered “Our legal notice highlights the steep cost of undercutting a federal workforce whose job is to protect the delicate fabric of life we all need to be happy and healthy,” said Bennett “Americans care about protecting endangered species We’re ready to stand up for the frosties if the Trump administration doesn’t take its job seriously.” Frosted flatwoods salamanders (Ambystoma cingulatum) are black to chocolate-black amphibians with light gray lines and specks that form a cross-banded pattern across their backs The salamanders live in longleaf pine-slash pine flatwoods in a few places in the lower southeastern coastal plain They spend most of their lives underground in crayfish burrows root channels or burrows of their own making They emerge in the early winter rains to breed in small These ephemeral breeding pools are critical to the species’ life cycle The Center for Biological Diversity is a national nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places More Press Releases Fisheries and Geomatics Science along with several co-sponsors including the Florida Forest Service will mark the end of Prescribed Fire Awareness Week with a free fire festival for the public on Saturday The 2025 Flatwoods Fire and Nature Festival will feature prescribed fire and equipment demonstrations, educational tours, native wildlife, exhibitors from over 30 different agencies and organizations, and food and music. The event is held at UF’s Austin Cary Forest Campus The Flatwoods Fire and Nature Festival begins at 10 a.m with prescribed burn demonstrations at 11 a.m. but pavement-pounding journalism is not free Join your neighbors who make this vital work possible as well as plenty of food trucks and live music,” said Ludie Bond and prescribed fire mascot Burner Bob the Bobwhite Quail will be there.” The event occurs every other year and helps put the spotlight on Florida’s forest habits and emphasizes the benefits of prescribed fire in managing healthy ecosystems and reducing the risk of wildfire “We are the lightning capital of our country so it makes sense that many of our plant and animal communities are fire-dependent,” said Bond and just really provide them with that educational opportunity.” Florida ranks among the highest in the United States for the use of prescribed fire often being considered the leader in its application The state utilizes prescribed fire as an essential tool for land management particularly for maintaining ecosystems like pine forests and wetlands which are fire-adapted and rely on periodic burns to maintain their health and biodiversity According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) and the U.S Florida regularly burns millions of acres annually the state typically accounts for more than 30 percent of the total prescribed fire acreage in the country Other states with significant use of prescribed fire include Alabama Florida’s relatively large area of fire-adapted landscapes combined with its commitment to fire management Join your neighbors who make this work possible Subscribe Now By Lindsey Liles two dozen people gathered around a seasonal wetland deep within a longleaf pine savannah in northwestern Florida In their hands they carried plastic tupperware containers filled halfway with water and harboring precious cargo: baby reticulated flatwoods salamanders the amphibians didn’t look like much—they were under an inch long and striped brown But their very presence in this wetland was the culmination of decades of work and a landmark moment for the future of conservation in the South Two things made this situation special: The reticulated flatwoods salamander is federally endangered and this release happened on private land.  This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply representing the first usage of a new agreement that allows exactly this kind of thing to happen to share in conservation efforts for endangered species “I got an email already from a friendly competitor asking for the template agreement who is thinking about reintroducing an aquatic species in the Pacific Northwest,” Bullock says Take the reticulated flatwoods salamander: Historically they lived in the longleaf pine-wiregrass flatwoods and savannas that once covered 32 million acres of the South. But today, just 5.6 million of those acres remain, and the salamanders have almost disappeared completely. In recent years, biologists have documented their presence in just six Florida wetlands, mostly on Eglin Air Force Base. The need to get more salamanders on the landscape, therefore, is pressing, and RMS had just the place—a tract of land they manage in Santa Rosa County. “Our client had already made a commitment to conservation,” Bullock says, “and the reticulated flatwoods salamander was historically found on the property.” RMS had also spent years converting the forest from loblolly pine back to a functioning longleaf pine ecosystem while retaining the ability to sustainably harvest trees. The life cycle of the reticulated flatwoods salamander has been fine-tuned over millennia to match the rhythms of that longleaf ecosystem. In late fall, females travel to dried-up ephemeral wetlands and lay their eggs in clumps around native wiregrasses, making a bet that their selected pond will fill. When it does, the larvae hatch, eat, and grow in a fish-free environment until they’re ready to crawl out onto land. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation (@floridawildlifecorridor) In working to conserve a wide range of species from the iconic Louisiana black bear to the little-known Red Hills salamander Bullock has fostered collaborative efforts across public and private sectors and promoted the idea that working lands can stay working while still providing quality habitat for wildlife RMS plans to release more baby salamanders from Eglin Air Force Base next year and Bullock hopes to keep unlocking the potential from this landmark step forward he and Hinson have spearheaded a new initiative that allows monitoring for federally endangered species on private land “It’s an exciting time to be in conservation,” he says “We are honored that our partners trust us enough to care for the reticulated flatwoods salamander and I know that this is just the beginning of getting more private lands involved in this important work for many other species to come.” Lindsey Liles joined Garden & Gun in 2020 after completing a master’s in literature in Scotland and a Fulbright grant in Brazil The Arkansas native is G&G’s digital reporter and she especially enjoys putting her biology background to use by writing about wildlife and conservation The wildturkeyDNA project engages hunters to try and determine why some gobblers don’t look like the others The Hall-of-Fame jockey on his mission to help behind-the-scenes workers at Churchill Downs and beyond—and the unbridled joy of a Derby victory With noses trained to find species by scent these dogs work alongside scientists to help protect rare plants and animals The future of conservation in the South just got a little bit brighter—and not just for salamanders but they’re the craftsmanship of local crustaceans called lawn lobsters The drawls are receiving a lot of flak across the internet but a North Carolina linguist argues they’re actually pretty accurate We would like to thank project partners for their support: Atira Conservation Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation/Restore the Earth Foundation Partnership for Gulf Coast Land Conservation This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access. Bodcau and Woodworth Shooting Ranges announce closures for Easter holidays trails at Grassy Lake WMA to close April 14 due to flooding LDWF enforcement agents cited a Pollock man on March 29 for alleged turkey hunting violations in Natchitoches Parish.[…] The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries certified 123 boaters statewide after its 14th annual “Boating Education Lagniappe Day.”[…] Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents cited a subject for alleged charter guide violations in St ©2025 Louisiana Sportsman, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Employee Information Sugar Island and the Belle Isle Flatwoods were recently completed including the Friends of the Detroit River have been working to restore habitat along the Detroit River for more than fifteen years several large habitat restoration projects that are part of the Detroit River Area of Concern were completed These projects are among 14 projects chosen by the Detroit River Public Advisory Council in 2014 Habitat restoration projects completed in 2023 and 2024 included: the Belle Isle Flatwoods The remaining project to be completed is at the Upper Detroit Riverfront Parks The Michigan Department of Natural Resources managed the restoration of the Flatwoods habitat on Belle Isle This type of forested wetland habitat is one of the rarest ecosystems in the state The Detroit River Public Advisory Council supported funding for a study to understand the hydrology of Belle Isle High Great Lakes water levels in 2019-2021 caused prolonged flooding on the island as water was trapped by roads and unable to filter off the island The habitat restoration work completed included removing roads and trails to restore the island’s natural hydrologic systems as well as restoring impacted areas with native trees and plants grown from seed collected on the island This habitat restoration work was completed by December 2023 with follow-up monitoring and signage installation completed by December 2024 Additional stonework was completed at Hennepin Point to protect the productive Hennepin Marsh A private property owner also allowed the shoal to be extended onto their property This work was finished in Spring of 2023 and managed by Friends of the Detroit River Due to budget savings on the Hennepin Point and Sugar Island work the shoal created during high Great Lakes water levels in 2019 was extended offering additional protection for the island and the aquatic vegetation located behind the shoals This work was finished in spring 2024 and managed by Friends of the Detroit River The last project remaining to complete the Detroit River Area of Concern habitat work is the Upper Detroit Riverfront Parks project This project primarily is being managed by the Environmental Protection Agency in partnership with the city of Detroit Friends of the Detroit River and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The project is expected to take place within the city of Detroit’s Lakewood East Park in the next few years If you are interested in getting involved in the Detroit River Area of Concern work or attending the bimonthly meetings led by the Friends of the Detroit River, email river@detroitriver.org This article was prepared by Michigan Sea Grant under award NA24OARX417C0157-T1-01 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Department of Commerce through the Regents of the University of Michigan and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the Regents of the University of Michigan Check out the Environmental Studies & Sustainability B.S Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work This information is for educational purposes only Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned The 4-H Name and Emblem have special protections from Congress We comply with the Federal Trade Commission 1998 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) The 3,719-acre property where the reintroduction took place is owned by a Danish group known as ATP and managed by Resource Management Service LLC "one of the world’s largest and most experienced providers of timberland investment services," a press release from the company said They've got to pay the pensioners and generate income and also monitor an asset that increases in value year after year," said Alex Hinson "The company has clear economic needs and very clear plans to make a profit and grow their investment." With the assistance of several conservation-minded groups RMS has come up with a way not only to keep its business partners happy but also to help save a highly endangered animal species and restore a tree that once dominated the Northwest Florida landscape RMS has committed to manage the property as a working longleaf pine forest and a functioning longleaf ecosystem "What makes this project so cool is that we are demonstrating the power of a commercial site as an economic good as an environmental good and as an ecosystem good," Hinson said "We are trying with the project to preserve and protect the long leaf pine ecosystem and preserve the habitat-specific good for the salamander." The reticulated flatwoods salamander once thrived in coastal plain forests beneath towering long leaf pines woodlands that stretched from Texas to Virginia The salamander has lost 87% of its former range to extensive harvesting of the long leaf and ensuing development of the areas it once thrived in according to Milton resident Vernon Compton director of the Gulf Coastal Plain Ecosystem Partnership and longtime member of the Longleaf Alliance "This was a conservation milestone," Compton said of the private company venture that allowed the reintroduction of salamanders to a location they hadn't been seen in years The two largest known populations of flatwood reticulated salamanders are both located in Northwest Florida One group is on Eglin Air Force Base property and the second is at Escribano Point Wildlife Management Area in Santa Rosa County The larval salamanders RMS and partners released originated from populations in the Escribano Point Wildlife Management Area Hinson said the salamanders were released at a stage of development when each measured about an inch to inch-and-a-half and somewhat resembled "a tadpole with a lot of tail." More: UWF's Pensacola campus is a unique ecosystem. This professor works to protect and study it the reticulated flatwood salamander needs a landscape occupied by what are known as ephemeral wetlands meaning they are not always covered in water They also require the occasional fire nature has always provided in wiregrass woodlands to burn off ground clutter that could potentially choke out living spaces RMS is the largest of 19 entities within the Gulf Coastal Plain Ecosystem Partnership dedicated to the restoration of the longleaf pine forests in its former habitat The company is committed to working closely with GCPEP and The Longleaf Alliance to restore wetlands within its Pace area pine forest Ongoing efforts include removal of hardwoods to provide openings in the forest and the timing of prescribed burns during the growing season when the salamanders have retreated underground “The reticulated flatwoods salamander requires very specific habitat conditions to support its complex life cycle,” Compton said in the news release “The willingness of RMS and their investor to make property available for the newly established population and their commitment to managing the forest to support the health of the ecosystem serve as a model for other landowners.” Along with GCPEP and the Longleaf Alliance and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to make the salamander relocation a reality Fish and Wildlife led development of an agreement that allowed for the reintroduction of the salamander without putting regulatory risk on the landowner “Private landowners are critical to making sure our nation’s landscapes and wildlife can be cherished for generations,” Catherine Phillips a service assistant regional director for ecological services said “RMS’ leadership and initiative are transforming our approach to restoring this endangered salamander to its natural home Their willingness to partner in this way is ushering in a new era of trust and cooperation between the service and private entities." Hinson said he would welcome more private landowners and even RMS competitors to utilize their properties for conservation and environmental restoration efforts "Getting beyond doing this just on public lands is a huge win," he said "I hope this is seen as a model others may duplicate." Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInALLEN PARISH (KPLC) - The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced 426 acres between the towns of Reeves and LeBlanc will be established as a new wildlife management area (WMA) which is being called the Flatwoods Savanna WMA will be LDWF’s fifty-second WMA and will be located in southwest Allen Parish This WMA includes old-growth longleaf pine savanna and sections suitable for longleaf pine reforestation This is the only known site of mature longleaf in Southwest Louisiana and the only known site in the state with both mature longleaf pine flatwoods and natural a program established during the 2022 legislative session to provide funding for outdoor conservation projects in the State of Louisiana LDWF anticipates the site will be open to the public on July 1 wildlife/botanical viewing and photography (WCHS) — A boil water notice was issued in Sutton from the 3300 to 6700 block of Chapel Road including Nichols Run and Riffle A chief plant operator told Eyewitness News a main line break was the cause of the notice The plant operator believed the order will be lifted within 24 hours WV (LOOTPRESS) – Today marks the anniversary of one of West Virginia’s most bizarre and enduring legends: the sighting of the Braxton County a group of local boys playing football near Flatwoods witnessed a mysterious fireball streak across the sky they ventured to investigate the strange occurrence accompanied by local beautician Kathleen May and Tommy Hyer—climbed the hillside where the fireball had fallen they reported seeing a pulsating light and then noticed two powerful beams of light in the darkness to their left When they directed their flashlight in that direction standing about 12 feet tall and 4 feet wide its red face glowing and green robes hanging in loose folds below the waist and an overwhelming metallic odor filled the air A subsequent investigation revealed only the lingering odor and trampled grass where the creature had been seen Though the Flatwoods Monster was never seen again Flatwoods celebrated the 50th anniversary of the sighting with a community festival an annual convention continues to draw fans of the story alongside other West Virginia folklore figures like Mothman and Batboy A museum dedicated to the Flatwoods Monster now stands on Main Street in Sutton preserving the legacy of one of the state’s most famous mysteries Lootpress brings you the latest news in Southern West Virginia and around Please enter your username or email address to reset your password Definition of a wetland: Wetlands are lands on which water covers the soil or is present either at or near the surface of the soil or within the root zone permanently Unseasonably warm temperatures had come to Indiana and it was great hiking weather I tried to think of a place I could go that was close by Flatwoods Park came to mind It is only a few miles from my home and even though it is considered to be “wetlands," I knew there are boardwalks and paved trails to hike on And a lot of trails that go through the woods So I jumped in my car and headed over to this 198-acre park to explore nature on sunny The park is owned and operated by Monroe County Parks and Recreation which were more than enough to keep me busy for a while The thing that I find most interesting about this park is the history behind its name the Illinoisan glacier blocked drainage to the west forming a large lake in what is now Monroe and Owen counties The water eventually found its way into the caves that drained into the White River. After many years, trees grew on the swampy land that was left behind and in the flat lakebed giving the area its name — Flatwoods. The headwaters of McCormick’s Creek are found at this park Last week's A Hiker's Path: McCormick's Creek State Park changed two years after tornado There are so many interesting things about this place I could almost envision all of these events taking place I chose to randomly start with the boardwalk but the frogs were sure busy singing and there were a variety of birds I heard owls in the distance and saw a coyote I heard wild turkeys gobbling and was quite surprised to see a garter snake on the trail in front of me I think it didn’t like my presence as it quickly slithered over into the weeds Get more hiking news Access Spencer, Indiana news anywhere with the Evening World app This loop trail is 1.47 miles in length and is an easy walk The park has a series of trails named by colors that lead through the woods and they join up with one another I have included a map of the trails in this column This wooded area contains Osage orange and cedar trees I allowed myself to think about how the forces of nature are in a constant state of change I suppose the park is best visited in spring when the weather is warmer and the flowers are growing And when the frogs are busy making their mating calls You can hear a loud chorus of different ones I enjoyed my “wetlands” hike though my heart is still longing for the spring to show up My biggest take away from this hike was thinking about about how I had been walking through a wetlands that was once a lake formed by a glacier Still trying to wrap my mind around that one 46 east or west from Bloomington or Spencer Follow it for a short distance and the park will be on the left The park is open from dawn till dusk and admission is free.It was a good day A quote for your week: “Advice from a wetland: 'Make a splash at Braxton County Memorial Hospital in Gassaway She attended Sutton High School and graduated with the class of 1946 She worked at Westinghouse and Owens Glass Company located in Fairmont going to the beach and collecting seashells and was a big fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and West Virginia Mountaineers Kim Buran and Cynthia Brown; grandchildren Heather Napalo and Rachel Pannell; great grandchildren cremation will be observed with no services The family wishes to thank Braxton County Memorial Hospital staff for their compassionate care | https://www.mariettatimes.com | 740-373-2121 Forgot Password Not a Member? Sign up here! KY (formerly of Green County), son of the late Shively Richard Mitchell and Hortense Henderson Mitchell 1941 in Greensburg and departed this life on Sunday Richard had made a profession of faith in Christ and was a member of First Baptist Church Russell where he was devoted to his church family He read gas meters in the engine room of the Tennessee Gas Plant he ran the ambulance service for the funeral home and most of all loved spending time with his family and friends If you need help accessing the online public file due to a disability, please contact us Home  |  Employment Opportunities  |  Advertising Information  |  Contest Rules  |  Contact WVLC Public File  |  EEO  |  FCC Applications Built on Envisionwise Technology  PLACE YOUR LEGAL NOTICES HERE Photo by SUZETTE COOK/special to Alachua County Today GAINESVILLE – The sounds of nature and the feel of leaves and pine needles under your feet are a bonus for runners who take part in the University of Florida School of Forest and Geomatics Sciences (FFGS­­­) annual Flatwoods 5K event Hundreds of participants will take off just after sunrise on Saturday on a trail around the Austin Cary Forest (ACF) a 2,632-acre teaching and research forest northeast of Gainesville The forest is not usually open to the public and students to put into practice the theories and principles of its academic subjects such as silviculture Race proceeds support forestry education and outreach to help sustain Florida's natural heritage FFGS Professor of Ecotourism Taylor Stein is the event organizer His research efforts focus on exploring the benefits of nature-based recreation and tourism and how to best integrate the recreation use of conservation lands into natural resource decision-making and planning “You will not find a more scenic race than the Flatwoods 5K,” Stein said “The Austin Cary Forest is not open for general use so this is the rare chance people get to experience one of the prettiest forests in the state.” FFGS assistant director of undergrad programs fun event in a beautiful setting,” he said. “You run past open pine forests and cypress domes Sager said he has enjoyed running in the race for the past five years The event is open to the public and is family friendly The event is chip timed by Start2Finish Race Management The course is accurately measured (but not USATF certified) There is a water station at the halfway point and post-race refreshments Registration and race t-shirt. Registration is $20. Runners 12 years and under race for free. Register at https://runsignup.com/Flatwoods5K Participants can also pick up their packet 6:45 to 7:45 a.m Pinecone trophies made from native longleaf loblolly and slash pinecones go to top open and master runners and top three in all five-year age/gender groups All runners 14 years or younger will receive an award #     #     # Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInMONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - The brand new Flatwood Community Center officially opens Thursday nearly two years after a tornado flattened it and killed two people in the neighborhood It was November 30, 2022, when an EF-2 tornado ripped through the Flatwood community It killed a mother and her son and destroyed the Flatwood community center was a place where many in Flatwood gathered daily homes that were left in shambles have been replaced And a new community center is ready to serve as a new gathering place The new center will feature a meeting space The official ribbon cutting for the new Flatwood community center is set for 10 a.m Not reading this story on the WSFA News App? Get news alerts FASTER and FREE in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store Save my name and email in this browser for future comments Kentucky voted in favor of a measure that will alcohol sales inside of city limits voted in favor of a measure that will allow alcohol sales inside city limits The Greenup County Clerk's Office said 741 people voted in favor of alcohol sales and 579 people voted no during the Kentucky primary election on Tuesday The measure will allow restaurants and stores in Flatwoods to sell wine More than a dozen Flatwood residents stood in their new community center Thursday nearly two years after a tornado flattened the previous center They stood and remembered all they had lost: the lives “I tell you today is a very emotional day for me I know it is for y’all too," Montgomery County Commission Chairman Doug Singleton said On Nov. 30, 2022 But the Flatwood area did not qualify for federal or state assistance because the damage wasn't widespread enough to reach those thresholds the Montgomery-area community pulled together to support the people of Flatwood donating through the River Region United Way The community center itself was a $1.1 million project Singleton said at the center's groundbreaking won the bid to begin construction on the new community center Besides the devastating impact that the tornado wrought on Flatwood, it also killed two people. At the community center's opening, County Commission Vice Chairman Isaiah Sankey asked that people remember mother and son Chiquita Broadnax, 30, and Ceddarius Tell, 8, who died in the tornado More: Previous Coverage Montgomery County breaks ground on new Flatwood community center a year after tornado “You know we would not even be here without the EF-2 tornado that devastated this community," Sankey said at the opening It includes a state-of-the-art kitchen and a trail surrounding the outside Alex Gladden is the Montgomery Advertiser's public safety reporter She can be reached at agladden@gannett.com or on Twitter @gladlyalex Mothman and the Flatwoods Monster sure do get around West Virginia’s two most-famous cryptids are currently enjoying renewed interest at their second home these days “cryptids” are those animals or creatures — deemed to be of this world or otherwise — that defy characterization The name is derived from the practice of cryptozoology Depends upon your degree of cryptid conviction a zoologist who traveled the world seeking the origins of the above creatures prominent in local lore when he isn’t starring in beef jerky commercials who haunted the Himalayas for generations as The Abominable Snowman That’s in honor of the Braxton County town where the extraterrestrial visitor was said to have terrified a mom and her kids following a purported UFO crash in 1952 Mothman was a creature with enormous wings and red eyes known to frequent Point Pleasant which hugs the banks of the Ohio River in Mason County His appearance may have foretold the devastating collapse of the town’s Silver Bridge cryptid connections are what got him into all this a popular vacation spot nestled in Wisconsin’s rugged Northwoods region he and his wife Ashley founded Northwoods Bricks a toy shop and brick-building company — as in LEGO — in their hometown The Hodag is Rhinelander’s resident cryptid an elephant and a Stegosaurus into a radioactive Petri dish Hodag sightings go back to the 19th century when Rhinelander was primarily a logging town but he’s now quite commonplace in Rhinelander an event-planner and program coordinator for the town’s chamber of commerce “We’ve got his image on our water tower and on the sides of our police cruisers and public utility vehicles,” she said There’s the Hodag Dome and the fighting Hodags of Rhinelander High School He was also the first product of Northwoods Bricks “It was really popular for us,” Burkeland said of the DIY Hodag you’ll find the company’s kits for both at Cryptid Mountain Miniature Golf in Morgantown and the Loving WV store in Fairmont Mythical Pizza in Berkeley Springs stocks them and they also populate the shelves at the Flatwoods Monster Museum in Sutton and Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant You may also order your West Virginia cryptid kits online. Visit https://www.northwoodsbricks.com/ for details The packaging of said kits contains a biography of the places where the sightings occurred Burkeland likes the shared kinship of rural Wisconsin and rural West Virginia “We have Rhinelander kids now who know all about Braxton County and Point Pleasant.” He got to know about Point Pleasant in person when he visited the town’s Mothman Festival last year I have seen Mothman’s ‘shiny-hiney’ up close,” he said You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience and security Longleaf pine flatwoods savannas are ancient landscapes that have been formed over millennia by many very complex interactions between fire These longleaf pine systems occur on the outer coastal plains of the southeastern United States (see range map below) Longleaf pine flatwoods savannas are distinguished by sparsely stocked longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) stands with an open canopy Longleaf pine systems are fire climax habitats lightning strikes ignited natural fires which shaped the biota and distribution of longleaf pine communities These lightning strikes occurred throughout the year but were most frequent during the early growing season (April-June) and typically occurred once every one to three years on average Many of the savannas in the surrounding areas are fire-suppressed which has led to minimal groundcover and dense brush encroachment in collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has initiated the Longleaf Pine Flatwoods Savanna Restoration Project The flatwoods savanna project area has been set aside for intensive ecological restoration and research due to its high biodiversity and distinct geology as well as the extensive damage it sustained from past human activities and recent severe wind events This project encompasses approximately 7,324 acres on the southern end of the Vernon Unit of Kisatchie National Forest this site was clear-cut for timber production in the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps converted open longleaf pine flatwoods savannas to dense forests of slash pine (Pinus elliottii) which is not native west of the Mississippi River The Forest Service has reintroduced fire to the landscape opened up some of the dense slash pine stands to restore a savanna habitat and begun replacing slash pine with native longleaf pine Flatwoods Savanna LandscapeRestoration Site This project site is an ecotone (the edge or transition zone between two habitats or regions) including longleaf pine flatwoods savannas and longleaf pine rolling slope savannas and woodlands Topographic change in longleaf pine flatwoods savannas of the Western Gulf Coastal Plain are subtle but profound as they drastically change the vegetative communities The high species diversity and richness of this site is in part due to the unique and complex topography Characteristic features of this community type include slight rises in elevation in the shape of small circles or ovals called pimple mounds These ancient landscape features formed during an arid period when vegetation was sparse and winds shifted sediment across the landscape These winds scoured out depressions and redeposited sediment at the base of remaining sparse clumps of vegetation Pimple mounds are generally 1.5 to 6 feet high and 30 to 90 feet in diameter The ponds range from 0.1 to 20 acres but typically are 1-5 acres They vary from several inches to about 3-5 feet deep and fluctuate between seasonal to nearly year-round inundation These features provide drastically different microhabitats within feet of each other The mounds have dry upland conditions; the depressions provide aquatic to wetland conditions; while the flats and headwaters between these features provide transitional zones This restoration site captures all the unique expressions of longleaf pine flatwoods savannas including flatwoods ponds the pimple mounds covered large sections of western Louisiana and East Texas Site preparations and leveling for agriculture and urban development have erased a staggering proportion of these unique features from the landscape Longleaf pine natural communities are among the most threatened ecosystems in the United States Restoration of this ecosystem is increasingly important to avoid continued decline or complete loss of the ecosystem and the benefits it provides Longleaf pine natural communities have particularly high rates of species endemism (an indigenous species that is naturally limited to a small geographic range) These communities comprise one of the most species rich sets of plant assemblages outside the tropics The longleaf pine systems in Louisiana sustained great impacts during the 2020 hurricane season which caused over $63 million in losses on the Kisatchie National Forest Approximately 200,000 acres on Kisatchie National Forest received wind damage The longleaf pine flatwoods savannas and upland savannas on the southern portion of the Vernon Unit received the most extensive and severe wind damage (over 20,000 acres damaged) Varied use of heavy machinery for debris removal was employed to test the effects on the recovery time of longleaf pine systems These sites will be monitored for long-term research and the data will be used to identify best management practices for future storm clean-up operations in sensitive habitats Keep up-to-date with all news and developments in your community