Protect / Transform / Inspire

Protect, also, Transform, also, Inspire. The Nature Conservancy. , Protect , The story of Mantle Rock Nature Preserve begins with its rare and fragile sandstone glades, which inspired The Nature Conservancy to protect the area. Glades are characterized by low-fertility soils in which only certain species thrive. These glades feature a unique plant community, including the state's only known occurrence of June grass, as well as prickly pear cactus, rushfoil, hairy lipfern, little bluestem, pinweed, and poverty grass. Plant species grow slowly in glades; trees may be much older than they appear, due to the amount of time it takes a tree to reach maturity in a glade environment., The centerpiece of the preserve is a 30-foot high, natural sandstone arch spanning 188 feet, the longest natural arch east of the Mississippi River. The arch was formed approximately 320 million years ago during the Pennsylvanian Period of the Paleozoic Era. Other unique geological features include bluffs, rock shelters, honeycomb formations, fluorite deposits, and a rock-lined stream., The Reynolds Metal Company donated 190 acres to the Nature Conservancy in 1988 to establish the preserve. Mantle Rock grew to its current size with the acquisition of the adjacent 175-acre Calendar Tract in 1995, together with the donation of the two-acre Mandy Falls tract by the Felburn Foundation., The Conservancy has also protected nearly 1,900 additional acres near Mantle Rock. This land, now the Livingston County Wildlife Management Area and State Natural Area, contains some of the best white oak forest in the state as well as rare and threatened species such as Price's potato bean (apios priceana). The Nature Conservancy frequently works with partners to acquire important lands such as these and then transfer ownership once the partner identifies a funding source. The Conservancy worked with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves, and the Livingston County Fiscal Court to protect this land. Funding for the ownership transfer was provided by the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund, an important source of conservation funding made possible primarily from the sale of Kentucky natural license plates, a small portion of the state's unmined minerals tax, and environmental fines., People and nature can thrive together, but we need your help to conserve the lands and waters on which all live depends. Visit us at nature.org/Kentucky to learn more., Transform , Mantle Rock Nature Preserve lies within a fire-adapted area. There is ecological evidence showing that Native Americans used fire to manage the surrounding landscape. The Nature Conservancy conducts prescribed burning within the open fields and surrounding forestland on the preserve. Historically, native prairies interspersed with open woodlands occurred all over the western part of Kentucky. Over time, however, Kentucky has lost most of its native prairies due to agriculture and a lack of disturbance such as fire, allowing the transition to closed canopy forests. This makes our work at Mantle Rock even more important., Many species thrive with fire management, and fire is the most effective tool to maintain prairies dominated by grasses such as Indian grass, little bluestem, and big bluestem. The glade, prairie, and woodland communities found at Mantle Rock Nature Preserve all depend on fire. Many wildflowers also benefit from prescribed fire, and some invasive species can be controlled with this management practice. Prescribed fire is applied by highly trained personnel certified to federal standards for wildland firefighting., Manual removal of invasive species is another management practice used at Mantle Rock. These species include Japanese stilt grass, honeysuckle, sericea lespedeza, autumn olive, and others. Pollinator habitat, which includes abundant wildflowers, has been planted in the fields near the parking lot area to attract bees, butterflies, moths, and other insects that move pollen between plants., The Nature Conservancy , The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for people and nature. Our mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. Our vision is a world where the diversity of life thrives, and people act to conserve nature for its own sake and its ability to fulfill our needs and enrich our lives. Learn more and become a member at nature.org/Kentucky., Inspire , Preserve Rules , Please enjoy hiking, wildlife watching, photography, and other non-consumptive recreational activities at Mantle Rock Nature Preserve. The preserve is open from sunrise to sunset.,