Meadowview Biological Research Station facts for kids

The Meadowview Biological Research Station is a special group that works to protect nature. It is a non-profit group, which means it uses all its money to help its cause, not to make a profit for owners. It's also a 501(c)(3) organization, which is a special type of non-profit in the United States that gets tax benefits for doing good work for the public.

This station started in 1995. Its main goal is to save and bring back rare wetland plants and their homes. They focus on the coastal areas of Maryland and Virginia. They especially work with amazing plants called pitcher plants, like the yellow pitcher plant (Sarracenia flava) and the purple pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea). These plants live in wet areas called bogs or seepage wetlands.

Many pitcher plant homes have been destroyed over time. By 2007, fewer than 100 yellow pitcher plants were left in only two natural spots in southern Virginia. Meadowview works hard to stop and reverse this problem. They want to bring back these special plants and the animals that live with them.

Protecting Rare Plants and Habitats

Meadowview has done many important things to help pitcher plants and other rare species.

Joseph Pines Preserve: A Safe Home

• Meadowview bought a large piece of land in southern Virginia. It is 101-acre (0.41 km²) big and is called the Joseph Pines Preserve.
• This preserve is dedicated to protecting the native longleaf pine and pitcher plant ecosystem in Virginia.
• They are bringing back 18 different rare plant species that naturally grew there. This is part of a bigger plan to restore the whole ecosystem.
• So far, Meadowview has protected six groups of native Virginia yellow pitcher plants on this land. Four of these groups had disappeared from other areas in the last ten years.
• The group also aims to save all the native Virginia longleaf pine seeds and genetic material on this property. This helps make sure these trees can grow strong in the future.

Growing the Preserve

• In June 2012, Meadowview made the Joseph Pines Preserve even bigger. They added another 131 acres (0.53 km²) of land.
• By September 2014, they added a new Biodiversity Education Center to the preserve. This added 1.5 acres (0.0061 km²) more land.
• Now, the total land protected by Meadowview at this preserve is 233.5 acres (0.945 km²).

Helping Endangered Pitcher Plants

• Meadowview has also helped the mountain sweet pitcher plant (Sarracenia jonesii). This plant is an endangered species, meaning it is at risk of disappearing forever.
• They have brought back two groups of these plants to places where they used to grow in North Carolina.
• This work was done with help from a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Grant. The new homes for these plants include the Biltmore Estate and Falling Creek Camp for Boys.