Warriors' Path State Park restoring native ecology to Duck Island

KINGSPORT -- So long, tennis courts — Warriors' Path State Park is taking on a project to restore Duck Island, one of the most visited parts of the park, back to its native habitat. Duck Island will eventually be filled with the island's native plants, a pollinator garden, picnic areas and a walking path. Educational signage will also be added throughout the area to educate visitors on native ecosystems, pollinators and land stewardship. The restoration project started in January. It's funded by a $15,000 Iris grant — a state grant created to fund native ecosystem restoration at Tennessee state parks — and $10,000 raised by the Friends of Warriors' Path. Lowe's and Ingles are also donating resources for the project, and the Northeast Tennessee Master Gardeners are lending some of their expertise, too. "While we're never going to be able to get this area back to what it was three, 400 years ago or even pre- European exposure, we'd like to give people a little glimpse into what it used to be like," said Ethan Sane, park ranger and grant project manager. "Because this region used to not look like this." People won't be able to walk through the area quite yet. The first leg of restoration started in December as staff removed tennis court infrastructure from the site. If all goes according to plan, seeds will be planted by the end of April and people could "maybe mill around a bit" by the end of summer. The majority of the renovation will be complete in a year, but other elements like the pollinator garden could take longer. Northeast Tennessee Master Gardeners, who are lending a hand with the garden, told Sane it would be about two to five years before the garden "really establishes itself." "We want to restore the woods kind of back to what it used to be," Sane said. "Obviously, we're not going to have old-growth [trees], but we can at least get most of it native again." Getting the island native again means removing invasive species that have sprouted across the island and planting grass and native perennials. ETSU students have already gotten to work identifying and marking invasive species that need to be moved. Native fruit and nut-bearing trees will also be planted, which Sane said will help sustain local wildlife populations. A walking path will also lay out around the area for those who want restorative time in nature but can't commit to a full day of intense hiking. "Imagine being able to show up here as a programmer, or a ranger putting on a program, and you can show everybody everything that you would while you're out here on this 400 acre track," Sane said. Part of the restoration plans are informed by research at the Archives of Appalachia at ETSU. Sane visited and referenced original map designs of Duck Island at the archive. Maps indicate the area was originally slated as a picnic location. At least a dozen picnic tables will be rebuilt with donated materials from Lowe's. A volunteer work day on Saturday, March 28, from 8:30 a.m. to noon will help push the project forward, with volunteers removing invasive plants and weeds, laying hay and pressure washing historic picnic tables. Volunteers are encouraged to wear work gloves, safety glasses, old clothes, and bring heavy duty rakes and wheelbarrows if they have them. Other tools will be provided. He said the plans have been a team effort, a combination of research and ideas from staff across the park. "All these ideas were concepts that I think every member of the ranger staff and members of the maintenance staff have come up with," Sane said. Jorgelina Manna-Rea is a Report for America corps member reporting on issues relating to the environment for Six Rivers Media.