Landowner Patrick Woodard of New Bern, North Carolina, enrolled acreage in the Gum Neck area of Tyrrell County in CRP, installing a Shallow Water Area for Wildlife and a Riparian Buffer. The Shallow Water Area, or "duck pond" as Patrick likes to call it, has provided additional wildlife habitat for hundreds of waterfowl and other wildlife in the area. He has seen a large increase in the numbers of waterfowl on the property since establishment of the CRP practices.

Before the trees were planted in the Riparian Buffer or Shallow Water Area installed, Patrick rarely saw any signs of wildlife. On occasion he would see a few deer late in the evening. Now, the deer population likes the area also. Patrick says that he has a picture of a 250-300 pound buck that was taken on the property.

Last year, Patrick came across 3 large coveys of quail, each containing at least 30 birds. They were the largest quail he had ever seen! He has also seen turkeys, rabbits, ducks, geese, and swans on his property. He said that the bear (600-700 lb.) must play in his "duck pond" like overgrown otters who slide in and out of the pond making wide slide marks. Patrick did not stock his pond with fish, but he thinks the bears could be after either bass and brim or 2-pound, foot-long bull frogs, all of which have been seen in the Shallow Water Area.

Patrick says that after the sun goes down, you can sit and listen to the red wolves howling back and forth to each other.

Riparian Buffers use trees and other vegetation to filter water running off cropland before it enters streams and other waterways.

CRP Shallow Water Area for Wildlife installed on cropland in the Gum Neck area of Tyrrell County.

Through the North Carolina CREP, Riparian Buffers are being installed to improve the water quality of the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuary.