New creek preserve at Flagg Mt. dedicated last Friday
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Approximately 50 people attend the Fenvkvcēkv Creek Preserve dedication in Weogufka. Photo submitted by The Nature Conservancy
Photo submitted by The Nature Conservancy
The oldest longleaf pine in Alabama, which is more than 300 years old, is located at Flagg Mt. In Weogufka. Photo submitted by The Nature Conservancy
By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
Approximately 50 people attended a special Earth Day dedication ceremony for the new Fenvkvcēkv Creek Preserve at Flagg Mountain in Weogufka, hosted by The Nature Conservancy, or TNC.
The Fenvkvcēkv (pronounced finuh-guh-jee-guh) Creek Preserve consists of a 1,000-acre tract, and its name is to honor the Muscogee people, the original caretakers of the land, and is the original Mucogee, or Maskoke, name for the bordering Finikochicka Creek. The preserve consists of land adjacent to Flagg Mountain.
While no local elected officials were present for Friday’s dedication ceremony, State Forester Rick Oates was present and made some remarks at the ceremony, and the Alabama Forestry Commission had local representatives in attendance.
During his remarks, Oates mentioned the importance of Flagg Mountain and his hopes that the preservation work done there would be one of his legacies. He also referred to Flagg Mountain as being one of the state’s “greatest hidden treasures,” in his opinion.
TNC State Director Mitch Reid also spoke on the special meaning behind the Fenvkvcēkv Creek Preserve and the Flagg Mountain area of Weogufka. He mentioned the longleaf pine ecosystem and Flagg being the first mountain more than 1,000 feet in the Appalachian Mountain range.
Former Alabama Rep. Mark Tuggle was also in attendance for the special dedication, but did not make any remarks during the ceremony.
In addition to Oates, Marcus Briggs-Cloud, a Maskoke person and an elder in the Ekvn-Yefolecv (pronounced ee-gun yee-full-lee-juh) ecovillage near the preserve, gave remarks during the dedication of the new preserve.
Additionally, following the dedication ceremony, Briggs-Cloud and members of the ecovillage performed a touching ceremonial land blessing over the Fenvkvcēkv Creek Preserve.
Reid said that The Nature Conservancy felt it was important to recognize and honor the original stewards of the land at the preserve, the Maskoke people. He also spoke of how moving and inspirational it was to witness the ceremonial land blessing and to have that be an important part of the preserve dedication.
Reid said that it is important to him and TNC to maintain and preserve the ecosystem at the Fenvkvcēkv Creek Preserve and surrounding land at Flagg Mountain. He stated that the oldest longleaf pines in the state are found in that area, with some nearly 400 years old and possibly the oldest in the country.
Reid said that they will preserve the land and will conduct prescribed burns periodically, which is something especially needed to help in the preservation of the longleaf pines.
He said that they also hope to increase trails in the area and to include day-hike trails for those interested in shorter hikes to still enjoy the natural beauty of the area. Reid said TNC will be working with others to get trails included and created for the preserve.
He added that TNC wants to continue the legacy of the Kaul family who have been protecting the land for more than 100 years.
For more information on The Nature Conservancy in Alabama and how to support its projects, visit www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/alabama.
