EENC's 16th Annual Conference: Renew Your Sense of Wonder

“Heart Pine Magic”

Field trip at Lighterwood Farm, 2006 EENC Conference

by Laura Webb Smith

 

We gathered around the barn to listen to NC State’s Dave Woodward talk about his research on the rare Northern pinesnake.   With the bonfire crackling in the background of the crisp fall afternoon, Dave showed how radio transmitters are surgically implanted into the snakes for the purpose of tracking them to document their life history. 

Joining us at Lighterwood Farm was author Janisse Ray, who had been our keynote speaker at the eco-picnic among the Ft. Bragg longleafs earlier in the day.  Janisse was thrilled to get her hands on “Big Boy” and “Jesse,” two of Dave’s snakes.  Jesse was named for Jesse Wimberley of Lighterwood Farm.  The field trip was a release party of sorts for Jesse the snake.  He was being returned to his slithering grounds, the farm where Jesse the man had found him months before. 

We hiked through the woods to a conspicuous hole where Jesse would be released.  Several photographs later, he slid down the hole excitedly, perhaps smelling the familiar sand of Lighterwood Farm.  Dave would return the next day to check on Jesse, using his antennae to track the snake’s whereabouts. 

Although it was nearly four, the scheduled end to the field trip, we had much more to see.  Jesse Wimberley led us on a tour of the restored longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem.  From mining Turpentine in the 1870’s to farming tobacco in the 1920’s to raking pine straw today, the farm has supported generations of Wimberley’s family.  We stopped by a section that had been burned two days before at the EENC workshop.  Frequent burning maintains the open understory and prompts seed openings required for this ecosystem to thrive.  Jesse pointed out the carnivorous plants that never fail to thrill the schoolchildren visiting the farm.  He explained that conservation and education are two of his farm’s main products.  Jesse often speaks to other landowners about how to sustainably manage farms to defend against development pressures while making an income. 

Perhaps the most magical moment of the field trip was inside the restored 1870’s log cabin when Janisse Ray and her nephew spotted “Ecology of a Cracker Childhood” on Jesse’s bookshelf.  Between Jesse’s fascinating stories of the 100 plus years of family history in that home, Jesse and Janisse expressed admiration for each other’s life work.  Two kindred spirits, connected through the ancient longleaf heart wood we stood upon.   Two inspired lives, showing us examples of how to bring about the kind of world in which we all want to live.