From Rare Plants to River Otters: A Few of the Finds at the Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve

Andy Zepp
Finger Lakes Land Trust Executive Director

View from Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve in Danby.

Located just eight miles south of Ithaca, the Finger Lakes Land Trust’s Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve can provide visitors with the feeling that they are much farther away from the trappings of civilization. Several weeks ago, I looked across the preserve’s Coleman Lake at the steep forested walls of the Cayuga Inlet Valley. As a wood duck took wing off the lake, I was reminded of similar scenes I’d witnessed up in the Adirondacks. And yet here I was just 10 minutes from Ithaca’s commercial strip!

The Lindsay-Parsons Preserve was established in 1995 as the world’s first temperate zone reserve for bioprospecting. Through a unique partnership between the Finger Lakes Land Trust, Cornell University, and Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals, the preserve has served as a source of genetic materials that hold the potential for pharmaceutical use. All three partners have benefited from this partnership: Schering-Plough obtained access to explore the biochemistry of the temperate forest, Cornell University gained a new site for teaching and research, while the Land Trust secured funding as well as the prospect of future royalties to fuel its conservation efforts.

Located astride the Cayuga Inlet, the preserve has since grown to 450 acres in size. Its varied landscape includes steep hillsides, a 20-acre lake, several kettle ponds, and a diverse assemblage of wetlands, open fields, and extensive woodlands. The preserve’s value for wildlife is enhanced by the fact that it borders Danby State Forest.

While no drugs have yet been developed from materials obtained at this preserve, its value has been demonstrated in many other ways. An impressive array of plants and animals has been documented from the site, including the globally rare Wood Reedgrass (Calamagrostis porteri, spp. Perplexa). This plant is known only from this area and has been documented at the site for over a century.

The preserve’s diversity stems from its glacial history. Glacial action resulted in the steep hillsides that characterize the Inlet Valley as well as the undulating topography of the valley floor. This habitat diversity has been recognized by Tompkins County through its inventory of Unique Natural Areas; three exemplary natural areas have been identified on the preserve. The preserve is also remarkable for its diversity of wildlife. Surveys have revealed 95 bird species that are believed to nest on the preserve — including the county’s only breeding population of the worm eating warbler. Large mammals such as the river otter and black bear are also seen on the preserve with increasing frequency.

Visitors to the preserve can enjoy several miles of trails that pass through a mix of open and wooded habitats. The overlook at Coleman Lake provides a great spot to contemplate nature and view the variety of birds that use the Lake and its associated wetlands.

So, what’s next for the preserve? Continued growth, for one thing. The Land Trust recently secured a contract to add 30 acres to the preserve. As development pressures increase, the Land Trust is taking steps to ensure that the full range of plants and animals found at the preserve continue to thrive. The Trust is also developing plans to enhance management of the preserve and add an educational kiosk to the site. Fundraising efforts are now underway.

Fall is the perfect time to get out to visit this spectacular preserve. For additional information about the Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve or to find out how you can assist our efforts to grow the preserve, contact us at (607) 275-9487 or check out our web site at www.fllt.org.