Project name: Lakeshore Savanna Community-based Restoration Site (#5008)
Project status: Complete
Grant Administrator: Gulf of Mexico Foundation (for NOAA)
Grantee: The Nature Conservancy, Mississippi Chapter
Project location: Lakeshore Community, near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Grant period: Jan 1, 2021 to Dec 31, 2020
Grant amount: $12,854
Land Ownership: Private ownership in The Nature Conservancy’s name
Lat/Long: Latitude 30.286000, Longitude 89.457700
Types of Habitat: Wet-pine savanna with direct hydrological drainage on coastal preserve marshes in Hancock County and the Jourdan River watershed and Pearl River watershed
Project leader: Becky Stowe, Director of Stewardship and
                         Nicole Anderson, Program Coordinator
                         The Nature Conservancy, Mississippi Chapter
                         1709 Government Street,
                         Ocean Springs, MS 39564
                         Becky Stowe (601) 947-3111 phone
                         Nicole Anderson (228) 872-8452 phone
                         Becky Stowe (601) 947-3364 fax
                         Nicole Anderson (228) 872-8455 fax

Species Benefiting From Restoration:
     • Mississippi Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin pilea)
     • American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensi)
     • Gulf Salt Marsh Snake (Nerodia clarkii clarkii)
     • Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula)
     • Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
     • American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
     • Piping plover (Charadrius melodus)
     • Snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)
     • American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus)
     • Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)
     • Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
     • Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxvrhynchus desotoi)
     • Saltmarsh topminnow (Fundulus jenkinsi)

Acres of Habitat To be Restored: 120 acres

Project Summary:
The Lakeshore Preserve is a perfect example of how a terrestrial site has direct effect on an estuary. Lakeshore has one main drainage through the property which leads to the Coastal Preserve Hancock County Marshes. The Nature Conservancy and its partner in the Coastal Preserve Program, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, are striving to eliminate seed sources and exotic invasive species which threaten the Hancock County Marshes, a Gulf Ecological Management Site (GEMS). With recent damage caused by hurricane Katrina we predict a substantial increase in invasive species because of the availability of sunlight and damage caused to the native trees on Lakeshore. Without funding provided by this award, The Conservancy will not be able to apply herbicidal application to the site which will impact Hancock County marshes.

Community Involvement:
The Nature Conservancy staff will visit neighbors of the preserve to give them information on The Nature Conservancy and this project. From these site visits staff will recruit volunteers who would be willing to participate at the preserve’s annual volunteer workday and also monitor the preserve by walking the fire lines monthly. Neighbors/volunteers will notify The Nature Conservancy of any trespassing issues that might occur. The Nature Conservancy will also help train a few “Master Naturalists” (a program administered through The Audubon Society of Coastal Mississippi to conduct a monitoring project on this preserve that will consist of establishing control plots before the prescribed fire and herbicidal treatment. With support of the volunteers we will be able to monitor the progress once a quarter till the end of the project.