Little-known island is hidden refuge for wildlife
By Joan Tupponce CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Cyrus Brame with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service takes a boat ride around the Presquile National Wildlife Refuge. The island is located in a remote part of Chesterfield County and offers 1,329 acres of protected habitat for wildlife including bald eagles, wood ducks and deer.

Outdoor Recreation Planner Cyrus Brame of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service never knows what type of wildlife he'll see this time of year at Presquile National Wildlife Refuge. Recently, he came across nine bald eagles and several Great Blue Herons and wood ducks during a pontoon trip around the island.

"The fall is an exciting time of year," he said. "The leaves are changing, and the trees are bursting with fruits. We have two nests of bald eagles on the refuge - many others use the island to perch - and we have deer, fox, groundhogs and turkeys, as well as migratory birds."

If you haven't heard of Presquile, you're not alone. The 1,329-acre island in the James River is located in a remote part of Chesterfield, in the northeast area of the county about 20 miles south of Richmond. The refuge is adjacent to Henrico County to the north and west and Charles City County to the east.

Situated in the James River, Presquile (above) was once home to William Randolph and may have been inhabited by Native Americans. Sharks' teeth (above, inset) are regularly found at Presquile, a sign of the island's connection to the Atlantic Ocean. Presquile is returning to a natural state (bottom) as fewer crops are farmed there. (Photos by Ash Daniel)

"A lot of people don't know about the refuge," Brame acknowledged.

Originally, Presquile was a peninsula. It was cut to create a channel in the 1930s.

"When the replica of the Godspeed came up the James in May, we organized an event to watch them go through the cut-through that created Presquile, making it a true island," noted Joe McCauley, manager of the Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

The Presquile Refuge was established in 1953 to protect habitat for migratory birds and wintering waterfowl after it was bequeathed to the government by Dr. A.D. Williams in 1952. It is one of four wildlife refuges that make up the Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The others are the James River, Plum Tree Island and Rappahannock River Valley refuges.

McCauley believes that Prequile was originally inhabited by Virginia Indians.

"We have found some artifacts that would suggest use of the area by Native Americans," he said.

In 1660, William Randolph moved to Presquile and lived there for a while.

"There are no structures left on the island from the Randolph time period," Brame said. "There are a few cemetery stones that date back to the 1700s. And, there are four outbuildings that date back to the 1920s and a small residence from the 1960s."

The refuge includes three different types of habitat - upland (dry land), tidal marshes and swamps (Tupelo Forest). Not all of the trees around the home site are native to the area. Some were brought in.

"We have pecan, walnut, pear, Osage Orange and a yellow buckeye tree that is one of the largest in the central part of Virginia," Brame said. "The refuge also has two interior creeks that are populated by ducks."

Currently, the focus of the efforts on the island is habitat management. In the past, crops were planted to attract waterfowl like Canada Geese.

"We're not farming as much," Brame said. "We're trying to make it as natural as possible. We have a nice population of mallards, wood ducks and black ducks. We also have Canada Geese that use the marshes."

Want to visit?

Occasionally during the year, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will hold special events for the public - some are in partnership with the Chesterfield County Department of Parks and Recreation. Some events include a pontoon boat trip around the refuge for wildlife observation. Information about these events can be found on Presquile's Web site at www.fws.gov/northest/presquile or on Chesterfield County's Web site, www.co.chesterfield.va.us/HumanServices/ParksandRecreation/prhome.asp.

"We had one 10-day project that involved over 200 volunteers planting about 3,000 trees," Brame said. "We planted 18 different species such as oaks and sycamore, trees that will do well in this type of soil."

Boat owners also can make a reservation with Brame (829-9020) to visit the island to participate in nature-related activities. A permit is required.

"We do welcome visitors," Brame said. "Our public events are the best way to see the island."

Each year, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service allows three days of deer hunting on Presquile.

"We had a problem with a large deer population," Brame said. "We had an outbreak of a deer-borne disease in the 1970s. Reducing the population helps because they don't share the disease as much. The three-day harvest also prevents degradation of the property. Deer eat up to the height they can reach so there's no vegetation below. That affects the birds' ability to feed off the vegetation. We don't want to get to that stage. We want to maintain a stable population of deer."

The deer hunt is highly regulated. This year hunters who have already been notified and received permits can hunt Nov. 19, 24 and 26.

"We take applications for the permits," Brame explained. "The deadline for this year was the end of August. We only allow 20 selectees on those hunt dates."

Hunters can go to Presquile's Web site for more information.

Even though he has to manage and monitor visitation, Brame can understand why people enjoy visiting the refuge.

"There's a sense of solitude and peace here," he said. "You truly feel separated from everything."