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Discovering treasures of Crow's Nest

New book plumbs the treasures of Crow's Nest

Date published: 11/18/2008

By RUSTY DENNEN

The Crow's Nest peninsula in Stafford County is one of those rare places where history, culture and the natural world converge to create a landscape that is truly unique.

Hal Wiggins, a conservationist, amateur historian, paddler and biologist, spent many days poking along its sandy shore and marshes, craggy ravines and under its vast canopy of trees. So he's well-qualified to tell the tale of a place that has been focus of a decades-long battle between preservationists and developers.

The result is "A Field Guide to Crow's Nest," which delves into aesthetic and the esoteric aspects of the peninsula, a large chunk of which was recently purchased for preservation by Stafford County and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

With all the attention on the property, "A lot of people are asking questions about just what is out there at Crow's Nest. Hardly a week goes by that I don't get a call or e-mail about what it is, and how do I get there," said Wiggins, 55, an environmental scientist at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Fredericksburg Field Office. For now, the property is closed to the public.

Wiggins said he has been collecting information for over a decade to create the 122-page guide, which he says tackles "the history, science and culture behind one of Virginia's premier natural treasures."

It goes beyond the scope of a typical field guide by exploring the land's geology and topography, along with the plants and animals there--some of them rare--and its rich cultural history. The Patawomeck tribe, which helped supply the Jamestown settlers at a critical time, lived nearby.

Some well-heeled Virginians, including Peter Vivian Daniel, an associate Supreme Court justice in the 1840s, lived on the property.

In 1862, the Union Army began a massive buildup across from Crow's Nest on Potomac Creek.

A chronology of advocacy efforts aimed at preserving the property is also included.

There are gems such as this: Wiggins was paddling along Crow's Nest in Potomac Creek with two interns in 1998 when they discovered a 4-foot-long gelatinous creature in the shallow water.

Crow's Nest is the peninsula between Accokeek and Potomac creeks. It's named after the Crow, a black schooner moored off the property in the early 19th century. The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and Stafford County last spring purchased 1,770 acres of Crow's Nest for $19 million from a Northern Virginia investment partnership, with a two-year option to purchase another 1,200 acres for $16.2 million. Aquia District Supervisor Paul Milde said the fundraising effort for phase two is progressing. "I think we're about $5 million short" of the $16.2 million, he said, adding that Wiggins' book will help focus attention on the effort. "We're going to send copies of the book to decision makers" on various federal boards. The preserve is currently closed, and there's no public access. Plans are in the works for road improvements, parking areas, a canoe-kayak launch site, hiking trails, and wildlife observation areas that feature interpretive information about the natural and cultural history of the property. There's no state money budgeted for those improvements. --Rusty Dennen Hal Wiggins has written two other books: "Virginia Native Plants" and "A Tale of Two Dams," a history of the Salem Church Dam project, and Embrey Dam. All three volumes are available on the Web at lulu.com. "A Field Guide to Crow's Nest" is also available at the Made in Virginia Store and the Old Stone Warehouse in Fredericksburg, and the White Oak Museum in Stafford County. There's a book-signing Dec. 6 from noon to 6 p.m. and Dec. 7, noon to 5 p.m. at the Made In Virginia Store on Caroline Street, and Wiggins will speak at Griffin Bookshop & Coffeebar on Caroline Street on Dec. 20 at 2 p.m.

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Date published: 11/18/2008