The Local Landscape

The Gardner House itself isn't the only thing on display at this week's open house. Students have put together an exhibit on the local biology, ecology, and geology. Folk studies graduate student Sarah McCartt Jackson explains: "We want to show what the house looked like in the landscape of the area at the time it was built."

The land around the house is still teeming with life nearly 200 years after the first brick was laid.

On the Upper Green River Biological Preserve there are caves, barrens, uplands, bottomlands, and riverscapes. There are songbirds and cave shrimp, butterflies and snakes, woodrats and mussels. There are wildflowers, native grasses, and many, many tree species.




WKU's Department of Biology is dedicated to caring for this diverse land under their charge. They've established several projects to reintroduce or sustain endangered native species and they continue to protect the natural heritage found surrounding the Green River in Hart County. The department is also committed to community involvement and education.

To read more about the preserve, you can visit their website, where you'll also be able to hear some examples of the local birdsong.

To hear many of those birds in person or to see this incredibly rich landscape for yourself, come visit the Gardner House this Friday and Saturday. You'll also see the other exhibits on display in and around the house. Just email gardnerhousemuseum@gmail.com or call 941-626-0116 and let us know when you'd like to come by. We'd love to have you!

 Photos by Amanda Hardeman