Landmark Highlights 2024

WELCOME

2024 was an exciting year for the National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program. The nine original NNLs celebrated their 60th anniversary, two new sites were designated, and countless conservation successes were achieved at landmark sites across the country because of the efforts of the public and private landowners committed to protecting these natural treasures. This report provides a glimpse of the some of the activities, events, and stories from a sampling of the 606 NNLs.

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I have lots of heroes; anyone and everyone who does whatever they can to leave the natural world better than they found it. ~ Sylvia A. Earle

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NEW LANDMARKS

Then Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, designated two new National Natural Landmarks in 2024, bringing the total number of sites across the country to 606. Independence Creek Preserve in southwest Texas, owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy, was designated in July. Nantucket Barrier Beach and Wildlife Refuge, owned and collaboratively managed by The Trustees of Reservations, Nantucket Conservation Foundation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is situated on the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts and was designated in December. The National Park Service (NPS) is pleased to welcome these new sites and is excited for the opportunity to partner with the site owners to advance conservation of these natural treasures. Designations of the 21st Century - National Natural Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service)

Independence Creek Preserve represents the best illustration of a spring-fed stream in the southern Great Plains. Groundwater contribution to streamflow is clearly demonstrated by the large-volume groundwater spring complex which transforms an ephemeral stream channel to perennial flow in an otherwise arid environment. Learn more about this site here Southern Texas Desert Oasis (U.S. National Park Service)

The Nantucket Barrier Beach and Wildlife Refuge is a unique coastal area that beautifully showcases two geological landforms: a world-class example of a rhythmic cuspate spit series and a large, well-developed, symmetrical cuspate foreland. The site, located on the northern extension of Nantucket Island 30 miles south of Cape Cod, is about 1,600 acres and is home to many different plants and animals. Learn more about this site here Nantucket Barrier Beach and Wildlife Refuge: A New National Natural Landmark (U.S. National Park Service)

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SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION IN ACTION

Restoration of Iona Island Marsh NNL, along the Hudson River in New York's Bear Mountain State Park reached a milestone in 2024 with removal of the last 10 acres of invasive, non-native common reed (Phragmites australis). Disturbance introduced common reed to the 153-acre marshland at Iona Island during the 1960's. It thrived and formed dense stands crowding out native cattails, rushes, and asters, eventually covering 80% of the marsh. The resulting decline in marsh-specialized birds and plants led the Palisades Interstate Park Commission and its partners, Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve and Highlands Environmental Research Institute, to launch the project in 2008 with funding from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Starting with a 10-acre removal test plot, and employing highly specialized equipment, the successful effort was expanded section by section to 140 acres of the reed-choked marsh over 16 years. With common reed drastically reduced to less than 5%, the natural seedbank sprouted, resulting in the rebound of native flora and fauna and improved biodiversity. State-threatened salt marsh aster, New England bulrush, and least bittern have returned, as have other marsh specialists like Virginia rail and marsh wren. Research and monitoring-informed management will continue to maintain the now healthy marsh and habitat for rare plants and wildlife. (Marsh Madness: Restoration of Iona Marsh from Invasive Phragmites | New York State Parks and Historic Sites Blog)

Scientists from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida State Parks, and University of Florida released around 500 larvae of the Schaus’ swallowtail (Heraclides aristodemus ponceanus) at Lignumvitae Key NNL in May 2024. This butterfly depends on the tropical hardwood hammock ecosystem, which historically ranged from south Miami to lower Matecumbe Key. However, much of this habitat has been lost to development. Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park was designated an NNL in 1968 as one of the largest and best examples of tropical hammock forest known in the U.S., providing an important refuge for one of the rarest butterflies in the south. Researchers say there were as few as four wild Schaus’ swallowtails in 2012. Today, that number has grown to over 1,500, and its range has expanded due to a multi-agency effort to restore its habitat, captive breeding, and releases it into the wild. Other partners include the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, National Park Service, Florida Museum of Natural History, Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, North American Butterfly Association, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens, and a cadre of community scientist volunteers. (Endangered Butterfly Gets a Boost | Florida State Parks and Schaus' Swallowtail Butterfly | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)

The Board of Commissioners for the town of Nag's Head unanimously voted to accept a North Carolina Land and Water Fund grant to place a conservation easement on three tracts of land the town owns within the Nags Head Woods Preserve. A long-standing priority for The Nature Conservancy and the town, these easements will encompass approximately 22% of the preserve, protecting the area’s outstanding maritime forests and ensuring access to the preserve’s public trails. These areas are included as part of the Nags Head Woods and Jockey’s Ridge NNL designated in 1974 for its illustration of the entire series of dune development and plant succession, from the shifting open dunes at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, to the forest stabilized dunes of the Nags Head Woods Preserve. (Town of Nags Head awarded $4.5 million in grant funding for land protections - The Coastland Times | The Coastland Times)

NNL designation in 2014 helped to spark an international research collaboration at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve. A peer-reviewer of the proposed NNL designation brokered a valuable connection with colleagues at Canada’s Geological Survey and the State University of New York-Plattsburgh to perform dune mapping and coring at the preserve. Mapping revealed that dunes occur over a wider area than previously documented and confirmed previous studies that dunes are composed of young sediments that traveled a short distance from their source. Their work was presented at the 2024 Geological Society of America conference. (https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2024NE/webprogram/Paper397785.html)

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COLLABORATION AND CONNECTED CONSERVATION

Collaborations

The 2024 designated Kittatinny Ridge Sentinel Landscape (KRSL) includes five NNLs: Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Susquehanna Water Gaps, Box Huckleberry Site, Florence Jones Reineman Wildlife Sanctuary, and Hemlocks Natural Area. Under the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership, federal, state, and local government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private owners and managers work together to advance sustainable land use practices around military installations. Located in eastern Pennsylvania's Appalachian Mountains and anchored by the National Guard's Fort Indiantown Gap, the KRSL's forested ridges and fertile valleys support wildlife, clean water, working lands, the outdoor recreational economy, and military readiness. Under the Sentinel Landscape umbrella, defense, agriculture, and conservation communities' interests and efforts converge, resulting in a partnership that showcases the power of collaboration. Learn more about the Kittatinny Ridge Sentinel Landscape through Hawk Mountain Sanctuary's press release: Hawk Mountain Sanctuary included in new Sentinel Landscape to Address Climate Change Impacts and Strengthen Military Readiness | Hawk Mountain Sanctuary: Learn Visit Join and the Kittatinny Ridge Sentinel Landscape story map.

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary released a video in 2024, A Framework for Conservation, featuring their stewardship team as they constructed a new trailhead information kiosk from salvaged, standing dead or "risk" oak trees. From tree harvest and milling, to the use of traditional joinery techniques and wood-carved roof shingles, this video provides a visual eight-minute overview of the entire project. The collaborative effort with Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and The Appalachian Trail Conservancy achieved Forest Stewardship Council Certification, having been "made for the forest from the forest." Educational panels mounted to the completed kiosk provide a map of the 8-mile trail system with safe hiking tips and promote the importance of the larger Kittatinny Ridge forested landscape and conservation efforts and opportunities. Celebrating its 90th year in 2024, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is the first refuge for birds of prey and an international center for raptor conservation. Among the earliest NNLs, designated in 1965, it is a renowned location for the observation of concentrated, seasonal hawk migration.

Citizen Science

The University of Minnesota’s Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve, part of the Cedar Creek Natural History Area-Allison Savanna NNL in central-eastern Minnesota, uses a unique approach to gather landscape change data and engage the visiting public in science. Three Chronolog photo stations have been placed within the NNL. Each station consists of a stand that allows visitors to take a picture from a consistent point using their phones and then upload the photo to a web address by scanning the station’s QR code. All photos contribute to an ongoing time-lapse series that documents seasonal changes over time. See the Chronolog photo stations at the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve and explore stations across the country here. (Map | Chronolog)

2024 marked the eighth summer NNLs have participated in sampling for the long-term, landscape-scale Dragonfly Mercury Project. Three NNL sites (Bear Meadows Natural Area, PA, East Inlet Natural Area, NH, and Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, TX) collected larvae from seven different sampling locations, adding to the data collected at over 180 other sites across the country. All years of dragonfly mercury summary data are available here The Dragonfly Mercury Project Data Dashboard.

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NNLS MAKING A SPLASH

After years of planning and construction at Natural Bridge Caverns NNL in TX, expanded sections of public passageways in the Hidden Wonders cave, including a newly excavated exit tunnel, recently opened to the public. This cave tour features a stainless-steel bridge across the cavern’s deepest point, a large dome chamber referred to as the Ballroom that serves as an event space, new, state of the art lighting systems, and the first of its kind conveyor system (BAT – belt assisted transport) to move visitors along the final 700-foot exit tunnel back to the surface. Designated an NNL in 1971 for its unusual fried egg speleothems and intricate helictites, these improvements better highlight the caves formations and elevate the visitor experience.

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CELEBRATING LANDMARKS

Dedication Ceremony

On Earth Day in 2024, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation hosted a dedication event for John Boyd Thacher State Park NNL.  Held at the park's visitor center atop the Helderberg escarpment, the event featured speeches by Lt. Governor Antonio Delgado, NNL Program Manager Heather Eggleston, and others, followed by unveiling of the bronze NNL plaque and a guided walk through the Middle Paleozoic geologic history exposed in the escarpment wall. Improvements to the park's iconic Indian Ladder Trail were celebrated with a ribbon-cutting, as was the centennial of the New York State Parks system. Designated in late 2023, the uniquely accessible, fossil-rich deposits at Thacher State Park provide a master section spanning 63-million years that is foundational in the early study and understanding of North American geology and ancient mountain building. For more information about the event and the NNL site, visit (On Earth Day, Governor Hochul Highlights Designation of Thacher State Park as a National Natural Landmark | Governor Kathy Hochul; New Landmarks Reveal Stories Millions of Years in the Making, Below and Above Ground (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

Landmark Anniversaries

Public and private landowners continue to steadfastly conserve NNLs across the country decades after designation. In fact, a new milestone was marked in 2024 with the first sites ever to receive the distinction as National Natural Landmarks hitting their 60th designation anniversary. Just shy of two years after the program’s inception in May 1962, seven sites were designated by Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall on March 7, 1964, and six months later, on October 14, 1964, 2 more sites were added to the National Registry of Natural Landmarks. The First NNLs - National Natural Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service)

• Bergen-Byron Swamp, NY

• Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, FL

• Elder Creek, CA

• Fontenelle Forest, NE

• Mianus River Gorge, NY

• Rancho La Brea, CA

• Wissahickon Valley, PA

• Cranesville Swamp Nature Sanctuary, WV & MD

• Mentor Marsh, OH

An additional 71 NNLs marked their 50th designation anniversary in 2024, with 33 sites designated on May 30, 1974, with an additional 38 sites joining the ranks on December 2, 1974. Golden Anniversaries - National Natural Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service)

The NNL Program is pleased to acknowledge these land stewards and some of the ways they celebrated their site’s diamond and quinquagenary anniversaries.

60th Anniversaries

See Cranesville Swamp celebrates 60 years as a National Natural Landmark | WBOY.com; Celebrating 60 years as a national landmark | News, Sports, Jobs - The Intermountain; https://beverlypress.com/2024/03/la-brea-tar-pits-recognizes-landmark-anniversary/

50th Anniversaries

Eight of North Carolina’s 13 NNL sites marked 50 years in 2024, seven of which are located within state park lands managed under the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources – North Carolina Celebrates 50th Anniversary of National Natural Landmarks | NC DNCR

The history of the Lewis Island Tract NNL in Georgia was shared in honor of this site’s 50th - Anniversary for an Island of Giants – Georgia Wildlife Blog

A celebration hike was part of the 50th anniversary festivities for the Hawley Bog NNL in Massachusetts - https://www.recorder.com/Tour-marks-50th-anniversary-of-Hawley-Bog-s-declaration-as-National-Natural-Landmark-55552073 

News of the 50th anniversary for Cranberry Glades Botanical Area NNL, located within Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia was shared through informational displays and materials set up at the site’s visitor center.

A former NPS Assistant Director joined the private landowners of Luray Caverns NNL in Virginia at a dedication event to mark this cave’s 50th designation anniversary- https://pagevalleynews.com/luray-caverns-marks-50th-anniversary-of-national-landmark-designation/

Social media continues to provide an opportunity to call attention to these milestones, including a post celebrating Anza-Borrego Desert State Park NNL in California, and Facebook videos and Instagram reels to celebrate and share the beauty and breadth of resources at Henderson Sloughs NNL in Kentucky - 50 Years - Henderson Sloughs | This year marks 50 years since a portion of Henderson Sloughs WMA was designated as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service! The... | By Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources | Facebook and at Nags Head Woods and Jockey’s Ridge and Green Swamp NNLs in North Carolina - The Nature Conservancy in NC | This month we are celebrating 50 years that Nags Head Woods and the Green Swamp have been designated as a #nationallandmark! 🎉 The... | Instagram

RAISING AWARENESS

A new boardwalk with modern, state-of-the-art design and multiple interpretive waysides opened in early 2024 at the Big Cypress Bend NNL in southern Florida. The new boardwalk provides access to previously unreachable areas such as Green Heron Lake. In addition, overall visitor experience has been improved with ample parking, restrooms, and an impressive interpretive pavilion. The pavilion is designed for educational programs and offers visitors spectacular views of the surrounding ecosystem. Located within Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Big Cypress Bend was designated an NNL in 1966 as one of the few outstanding examples of tropical swamp in the southeast.

Five caves in the Hill Country of Texas, four of which are NNLs, Caverns of Sonora, Cave Without a Name, Longhorn Cavern, and Natural Bridge Caverns, created and launched the Texas Cave Trail Passport. Developed to highlight hill country caves and encourage visitation and learning, visitors collect stamps from each of the participating caves during their visit and at their last cave visit, if completed within one year, participants can exchange their passport for a free t-shirt. https://texascavetrail.com/

The National Park of American Samoa’s Traditional Samoan Knowledge (TSK) work group partnered with the NNL Program to incorporate Samoan ancestral stories into the descriptions of the seven NNLs on Tutuila Island, American Samoa. The TSK team researched and curated traditional stories that complement the works of the volcanism natural history theme for which the landmarks are nationally significant. The TSK team also provided Samoan translations for each landmark. This example from the Vai’ava Strait NNL showcases how Traditional Samoan Knowledge can enhance the cultural and natural understanding of sites.

Vai’ava Strait is a classic illustration of steep cliffs and erosion-resistant outliers formed by wave action on a volcanic land mass. O Vai’ava o se ālavai vāapiapi e tua’oi i papa tetele maualuluga sa afua mai i maugamu, ma ua mamanuina e galu.

A Samoan Saga tells of Polauta, Polatai, and their daughter Faleofia shipwrecked and upon their death transformed into rock. Now the parents stand on each side of the straight, with the baby behind the mother. O tala o le vavau a Samoa ua fa’amatala, o Polauta, Polatai ma le la tama teine o Faleofia, sa folau, ae ua osofa’ia le latou va’a e galu tetele ma maliliu ai. Ua liua ai i latou o ni papa. O lo’o va’aia pea Polauta ma Polatai o tutu fa’atasi, ma le teine o Faleofia i tua ane o Polatai.

Rising above Waikīkī’s coastline on the island of O‘ahu, is Lē‘ahi, also referenced as Diamond Head, one of Hawai‘i’s most recognizable natural features. Formed 300,000 years ago during a single explosive eruption, Diamond Head was designated as an NNL in 1968 as one of the best exposed and preserved examples of is a volcanic tuff cone. Today Lē‘ahi remains geologically, ecologically and culturally import to the Hawaiian people. In 2024, Waikīkī Elementary School students and teachers partnered with Hawai‘i State Parks to create a new interpretive exhibit highlighting the native species that once thrived at Lē‘ahi before the introduction of non-native plants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The exhibit stresses that most of the featured plants are endemic meaning they evolved on the Hawaiian Islands and are not found anywhere else. This project provided a great learning opportunity to immerse students in Lē‘ahi’s history, culture, and biodiversity and in turn create a means by which to help visitors develop a deeper appreciation for the plants within this nationally important area.

Chazy Fossil Reef NNL was featured in an episode of Boston ABC affiliate, WCVB's Chronicle. In addition to providing some historical context, Journey back in time to the Champlain Islands focuses on the backstory of how the oldest biologically diverse reef on Isle La Motte, Vermont came to be protected and opened to the public. Linda Fitch, President and Founder of the Isle La Motte Preservation Trust tells the story of the initial discovery of reef fossils and the successful conservation effort resulting in the Fisk Quarry and Goodsell Ridge Preserves. Extending onto New York's Valcour Island, the Chazy Fossil Reef NNL, designated in 2009, provides a glimpse of the tropical, marine environment of the Ordovician period, 450 million years ago.

Chiwaukee Prairie, a high-quality wet prairie situated along the western shore of Lake Michigan, is the site of a recently produced short film featuring outstanding slow-motion cinematography of native plant and pollinator interactions. Produced by Dr. Jeffrey Karron of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, in collaboration with a UW-Milwaukee graduate student and a colleague from the University of Akron, this film specifically highlights the partnership between wild bees and native plants. Located in far southeastern Wisconsin, the Chiwaukee Prairie lies on a series of low beach ridges and intervening swales that provide a wet to dry mesic prairie habitat created when the level of glacial Lake Michigan was lowered in stages. The 89-acre prairie tract designated as the Chiwaukee Prairie NNL in 1973 represents a remnant of a once widespread vegetation type along the shores of Lake Michigan. The film provides an up-close look at the important components that make up this fragile landscape. https://youtu.be/fQsnPAWQqcI

Two NNLs designated for paleontological resources were featured in both editions of Park Paleontology News in 2024. Dinosaur Trackway in central Connecticut is highlighted in the Spring edition and John Boyd Thacher State Park near Albany, New York was detailed in the Fall edition.

The NNL Program released six Illustrating America’s Natural Heritage artwork pieces in 2024. Tundra, Plateaus and Mesas, Boreal, Lakes and Ponds, Eolian, and Rivers and Streams are now part of the series of graphic illustrations to visually portray the beauty and broad diversity of outstanding biological and geological features represented at NNL sites across the country. Artwork - National Natural Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service)

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NNL PROGRAM STAFF

The NNL Program was pleased to host the program’s first ever Scientist in a Parks intern in 2024. Sander Moffitt joined the program as a Science Communications Assistant for nine months starting in early June. A recent graduate from Brown University, Sander brought her background in Botany and English, along with her skills and talents as an artist, to assist with several projects related to sharing the science of complex natural processes and events and connecting people to natural features and places through art. While most of her accomplishments will be finalized and released in 2025, previews of a couple of items to come include an online partner toolkit for NNL site owners and managers and a multi-panel handout comprised of a series of hand-drawn illustrations depicting the geologic formations and processes represented at NNLs along the Ice Age Floods in the pacific northwest.

Contact information for program staff can be found here.

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