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| East Pearl River Estate - Historic Port Site | ||
| Sunday, April 19 - 6:30 am to 10:30 am | $35 (Includes Continental Breakfast) |
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Visit a rustic private estate on the banks of the East Pearl River. Located on 40 acres at the first high ground coming upriver from the mouth of the East Pearl, this site was the first land grant in Mississippi and as a major port beginning in the early 1800’s served the logging and cotton trades. It has a long history, housing at various times a lumber mill, a cotton gin, and a brick factory. Acquired by the current owners during the Great Depression, the property has been kept natural with open spaces, trails, and boardwalks added to make the varied habitat easily accessible. Breakfast will be served in a small rustic house built in the 1930’s using bricks found on the property and recently renovated after major Hurricane Katrina flooding. This trip promises residents and migrants in several habitats. An extensive network of trails and boardwalks (also repaired since Katrina) will take you through several portions of a fresh-water marsh, to mixed pine and hardwood islands within the marsh, and along the banks of the river where there are expansive views of the large marsh across the river. In addition, there are oak shaded clearings around the large pond dating from the time clay was dug to manufacture bricks and there are benches by the floating dock at river’s edge. New this year is the addition of an adjacent property with additional river frontage and another large pond. This property too has a long and interesting history. Birders have loved this site every year we have visited it since it made its debut as a BirdFest trip in 2001. It had been several years since we have visited this location. Take advantage of the opportunity to visit this wonderful site this year.
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