Wildlife
The Farm at Sinking Creek sits in the Sinking Creek Valley, wedged between two mountain ridges that comprise parts of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. This area of western Virginia is rich with diverse flora and fauna, and our farm and its natural resources are home to many animals that both choose to stay or simply pass through. Many species that visit the farm have faced population declines and other struggles due to poor and exploitive agricultural practices (like the overuse of pesticides and deforestation) and other human-caused issues. Through multiple conservation efforts, we have created a haven for many wildlife species to live in their native habitats, furthering the mission to ensure that humans and nature coexist peacefully and beneficially.
Bear Corridor
In this valley, framed by mountain ridges atop which sit copses of National Forests, there lives a large population of black bears. The bears call these slices of forest home and need a safe way to cross from one side of the valley to the other with their cubs. By moving some of the fences that run the property line, we have opened up a corridor for the bears to make their journey to the parallel ridgeline. Additionally, the bears are able to stay under the tree canopy for a large majority of the corridor, allowing the pathway to connect directly to their natural habitat.
Beaver Meadows
The Farm at Sinking Creek is home to a large beaver population. Beavers, semiaquatic mammals that are native to North America, call habitats with both water and land home, where they can build dams and hunt for food. Our farm has approximately 60 acres protected by a Federal Wetlands Easement where the beavers can live and thrive in a habitat native to them without human interference. Finding a safe place on the farm, many of the beavers have raised their kits here on our property over the years. American Beavers are listed as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List, but it is still important to take preventative measures and conserve habitats and natural spaces so future generations will remain healthy and intact.
Butterfly Nursery
Monarch butterflies are a unique species, the only known butterflies to participate in a long, two-way migration like birds. Unable to withstand harsh winter weather, they travel from central parts of the US and Canada to warmer climates in Mexico and California. Part of the monarch butterfly migration pattern passes right over the farm in Virginia. Conscious of this and the fact monarchs have seen a population decline over the past two decades, we avoid over-spraying our hay fields to allow some milkweed to grow. Milkweed is an important plant for monarchs, the only plant that monarch caterpillars eat. By allowing these “weeds” to grow, we provide a place for the monarchs to lay their eggs (a butterfly nursery) and the necessary food needed for the caterpillars to thrive and later metamorphize.
