- Marshall Forest
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Marshall Forest
Marshall Forest is located in Floyd County, in Georgia, 5 miles (8.0 km) outside the Rome city limits. It is one of the few remaining old-growth forests in Northwest Georgia. Marshall Forest is referred to as the only virgin forest within city limits of any city in the USA.[1] The forest is 311 acres (1.26 km2).[2] Trees in Marshall Forest range from six hundred to nine hundred feet in elevation. More than 300 species of plants, specifically fifty-five different tree species live here, among them there are several non-threatening animals in the forest.
Contents
History
Once a part of the Cherokee Nation, the three hundred and 11 acres (45,000 m2) were bought by the Marshall family in 1880. The land was pasted down the Marshall family until it reached Maclean Marshall, naturalist and philanthropist, who had the land dedicated as a Natural National Landmark on October 12, 1966. Marshall Forest was the first Natural National Landmark in the state of Georgia.[3] In 1976, 100 acres (400,000 m2) of forest and 120 acres (490,000 m2) of fields were given to the Nature Conservancy. In 1985, 70 acres (280,000 m2) were added to the forest on the Mt. Alto side. These parts were not part of the original purchase by the Marshall family. Now only seventy-five to one hundred of the original forest remains uncut.
Forest life
Marshall Forest supports more than three hundred different species of plants. Among them is the endangered large-flowered skullcap. The forest houses the largest population of these flowers in the state of Georgia and the second largest population in the United States. Several different kinds of mushrooms also grow in the forest. There are also fifty-five different trees species, such as pine-oak, chestnut oak, and mixed hardwoods.[4]
Several non-threatening animals call the forest home. Some of these include frogs, salamanders, and snakes. There are at least six different species of snakes in the forest. Dozens of different kinds of birds also live in among them.
Endangered large flowering skullcapRecreation
Marshall Forest contains five self-guided walking trails, mostly located on the Southwest side of the forest. These trails include plant identification tags and twenty stations to stop and observe the scenery, with the signs in both Braille and English. One specific trail, called the Big Pine Braille Trail, is made specifically for the visually impaired. The trails are not cut allowing the undergrowth to spread onto the trail.[5] Access to the forest is by appointment with the Nature Conservancy.[6]
Management
The forest is managed in part by two groups –Friends of Marshall Forest and the Georgia Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. The Nature Conservancy, founded nationally in 1951, has managed Marshall Forest for five years. Volunteers assist in nonprofit work such as boundary marking and removal of invasive species. [6]
References
- ^ http://www.romenews-tribune.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Marshall+Forest%20&id=2053589-Marshall+Forest&instance=secondary_stories_left_column
- ^ http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM655M_Marshall_Forest
- ^ http://www.uga.edu/gardenclub/marshall.html
- ^ http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/mountains/cumberland_plateau/great_valley.html
- ^ http://www.romegeorgia.com/marshall.html
- ^ a b http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/georgia/preserves/art20695.html
External links
Coordinates: 34°15′03″N 85°11′43″W / 34.250898°N 85.195375°W
Categories:- Protected areas of Floyd County, Georgia
- Forests of Georgia (U.S. state)
- National Natural Landmarks in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Rome, Georgia
- Protected areas established in 1966
- Nature Conservancy preserves
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