Moores Creek National Battlefield - Nature & Science (U.S. National Park Service)

NPS Photo

Wet Pine Savanna

The park's 88 acres encompass a variety of landscapes ranging from dry pine forests to a small, wet-pine savanna. Moores Creek travels through the park and is a tidally influenced "black water" creek with considerable cypress growth. The park maintains checklists for birds and flowering plants. A boardwalk traversing the creek provides good locations to see migrating spring warblers and the park is part of the NC Birding Trail. Restoration work has been underway since 1996 on the savanna. More than 25,000 bunchgrass plants were introduced between 2003 and 2005 (Aristida stricta and Ctenium aromaticum). The savanna is burned using prescribed fire on a regular schedule to maintain the open habitat and improve habitat for state-listed plant species. Long-leaf pines are planted annually throughout the park.