GS professor restores Statesboro wetland

GS professor restores Statesboro wetland

Raquel Upson, Correspondent
July 12, 2022

Last October, Lissa Leege, a biology professor at GS, shared her story on how she purchased almost 12 acres of Statesboro wetlands.

What’s new: Since October, Dr. Leege has worked with her biology honors and undergraduate students to remove invasive grass and trees and replant hundreds of native trees.

  • “We planted probably 400 native trees on site,” said Dr. Leege. “The trees were donated to me by a former student, Charlie, who works at Arbor Jen… it’s been pretty neat to have that involvement with a former student.”
  • Dr. Leege recently installed a trail cam on the reserve and said she’s noticed a lot more wildlife such as deer, fox and raccoon tracks, and different species of birds.
Bracket fungus
Spicebush swallowtail butterfly caterpillar (Papilio troilus) on a Sasafras leaf – mimics a snake with its eye spots to avoid bird predation
Dog vomit slime mold (Fuligo sp.) – A protist that feeds on dead organic matter
Gilled mushroom
Southern blue flag iris (Iris virginica) – a beautiful spring flower common along waterways
Golden club (Orontium aquaticum) – a native obligate wetland species- it also grows in the Okefenokee
Mushroom with several species of moss
Student research & service in the wetland reserve
Deer photographed in the wetland
Deer photographed in the wetland
Panorama of the reserve
frog climbing on a plant