Ron and Nancy Bryant take their environmental commitment very seriously. They serve in numerous environmental organizations. They attend events to support environmental causes and are outspoken proponents of land and water conservation in the region. Now, through a conservation easement donation on their southern Stanly County farm, the Bryants have put their land where their mouth is.
The Bryant’s 169.7 acre property consists of productive agricultural fields, upland mixed hardwood forests, beaver swamps, and bottomland hardwoods along nearly 2/3 of a mile on the Pee Dee River. As you travel down the winding paths to the river, you’re certain to spot some interesting flora and fauna along the way. The first stop by a creek reveals monarch caterpillars, spotted bee balm, and tadpoles. In the forest, a yellow-billed cuckoo sings from a treetop, and fruits dangle from a nearby paw paw. One massive beaver swamp is flooded with American lotus, the huge flowers overwhelming the pond on which they float. The best is last, though, as you settle down on the river banks, you’re almost guaranteed an eagle will soar by majestically, flapping his wings to the tune of the lapping water.
That bird may even be one of the namesakes of Three Eagles Preserve. After much searching, Ron and Nancy knew they’d found their home when they peered from the banks across the mighty Pee Dee and saw first one eagle fly downstream, then another upstream, and lastly one dive – marking the sign of the cross. Ron and Nancy have dedicated a small room adjunct adjunct from their house as a sanctuary for Lutheran ministers to take sabbatical.
This house is an energy efficient roundhouse. Its shape is more aerodynamic which prevents drafting, provides less wall space for heated or cooled air to escape through, and also takes less lumber to build. The Bryants have photovoltaic panels for solar power that they eventually hope will run the whole house, and a highly efficient HVAC unit, as well.
“It’s a real pleasure to work with landowners with their conservation ethic and who are so excited about land and wildlife,” says Uwharrie Conservation Specialist Crystal Cockman. Worlds apart from their previous existence in the bustling metropolis of Charlotte, with their beautiful piece of land and their environmentally conscious housing and lifestyle choices, Ron and Nancy have now taken the finally step to protect their property for perpetuity. Now the rolling agricultural fields, mature forests, and wetland areas will remain a safe haven for beaver, heron, eagles and more for generations to come.
