Singer/Songwriter James Taylor has enabled a wonderful legacy for wild birds on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. On Friday, October 8, 2010, an addition to Kiptopeke State Park was officially dedicated in his name by the Director of Parks and Recreation for the state of Virginia. Thanks to James Taylor’s generosity, the state of Virginia , in cooperation with the Nature Conservancy, added an additional 37 acres of upland area to the park. Kiptopeke State Park is located at the very southern tip of the Shore in an area that is vital to the migration of songbirds in their flight south for the winter from their summer breeeding grounds in the northern regions of North America. (See a great video of James Taylor and his wife kayaking on Virginia’s Eastern Shore at www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPBTypUfgYM )
- On-site Information Marker for the James Taylor Bird Habitat At Kiptopeake State Park
As the topography of the East Coast shapes into a funnel at the end of the Delmarva Penninsula so follows millions of migrating songbirds where they gather at the tip of Virginia’s Eastern Shore to refuel for the crossing of the Chesapeake Bay and for leaving the mainland of the continent to migrate across thousands of miles of the Atlantic Ocean towards Central and South America. James Taylor personally donated $200,000., the proceeds of a 2009 fund raising concert he performed in Virginia Beach. The land that was purchased and added to the state park was formerly agricultural in use and now will be allowed to flourish as wild bird habitat for future generations forever. Hundreds of native trees, shrubs, and grasses have been planted there to support the songbird migration. Birds truly have “got a friend” in James Taylor.
The Eastern Shore of Virginia Master Gardeners donated 500 hours of volunteer labor and the plants necessary to establish a demonstration garden of native plant species, the perfect compliment to the James Taylor bird habitat. I joined the Master Gardeners two years ago and have gained quite a bit of knowledge and experience in gardening, landscaping, plant diseases, and maintenance. The best part is making new friends and contributing to our wonderful community. Each new class that graduates has installed a garden in a public place and maintains it. The Virginia Eastern Shore community benefits also by the thousands of hours of volunteer work that the Master Gardeners donate each year in support of education and maintenance of public gardens.
Tags: bird sanctuary, Eastern Shore Virginia, James Taylor, Kiptopeake State Park