Protected Crow’s Nest peninsula grows by 200 acres

STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has announced that more than 200 acres of forest and forested wetlands have been added to Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve in Stafford County.

According to a press release , over 200 acres of “ecologically significant” upland forest and forested wetlands along Accokeek Creek have been added to the Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve in an effort to ensure protection for biodiversity conservation.

DCR acquired a 228-acre parcel of Accokeek Bottomlands, which brings the total size of the preserve to 3,343 acres.

The Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve, the state’s 54th preserve, offers several public outdoor recreation amenities and hosts fieldtrips for local schools.

According to the release, a lot of the successful conservation at Crow’s Nest can be attributed to DCR, Stafford County and the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust, as they own and manage the preserve in a joint partnership.

“This is an especially important addition to Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve. It expands the preserve for future resiliency, and includes habitat for rare plants and native wildlife,” said Jason Bulluck, director of DCR’s Virginia Natural Heritage Program, which manages the state’s natural area preserve system.

As evidence to the impact of conservation efforts, a rare bird species, least bittern, was found in the marshes along Accokeek Creek by the department’s natural areas stewardship staff.

To find out more information about the preserve before planning a visit, check out the preserve web page.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRIC ABC 8News.