The Carolina Wetlands Association has designated one of Guilford County’s parks – the Richardson-Taylor Preserve – as a “2021 Wetland Treasure of the Carolinas.”
To celebrate the designation, county parks staff will lead an in-person tour of the “passive park” on Saturday, June 5.
The designation Wetland Treasures is awarded to select wetlands that are “ecologically valuable, protected by conservation plans and home to an abundance of plant and animal diversity.” All the designated Wetland Treasures areas have a varied ecosystem and offer benefits for “human wellbeing, such as water quality, flood control, habitat, recreation and a host of other services.”
Matt Wallace, a Guilford County Parks employee who oversees the county’s passive parks, said this week that Richardson-Taylor Preserve is “a beautiful property with a diverse ecosystem – including protected wetland areas.”
Wallace added, “We’re happy to team up with Carolina Wetlands Association to begin highlighting some of Guilford County Parks’ passive parks.”
Richardson-Taylor Preserve, which is just north of Lake Townsend, offers more than four miles of trails that include wetland views. The passive park also has picnic areas and an outdoor classroom with a podium and benches.
The designation came during May, which – by no coincidence at all – is American Wetlands Month.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the early June tour will be limited in size and safety practices will be followed. Masks and social distancing will be the rule. Also, participants must register in advance.
Guilford County has been using the pandemic as a time to complete a number of projects in its parks system. The system recently announced that the pools at the parks would be open for business this summer and, to name one large project, parks workers have performed a major upgrade of Company Mill Preserve in the southeastern part of the county.
For more information about Richardson-Taylor Preserve, those interested can visit www.guilfordparks.com.
Visit the Carolina Wetlands Association website, carolinawetlands.org, if you want to register for the tour of Richardson-Taylor Preserve.
The Carolina Wetlands Association, which helps protect North and South Carolina’s wetlands and associated ecosystems, is modeled after a similar effort in Wisconsin. That association has a “Wetland Gems” program.
The Carolina Wetlands Association was established to promote “the understanding, protection, restoration, and enjoyment” of the wetlands in the Carolinas through “science-based programs, education, and advocacy.”
