Old Opossum Tree Farm
A home for native wildlife along almost two miles of stream.
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About Old Opossum Tree Farm
The property is entirely forested with a large spring, four ponds, and two perennial mountain streams. The predominantly oak-hickory forest provides wildlife habitat, is growing timber, and shelters a multitude of ferns and wildflowers.
Scenic Values
Viewable by the public from Cacapon State Park and Green Ridge State Forest.
Fauna & Flora
Numerous native species, especially those requiring large areas of uninterrupted forest, including scarlet tanager, ovenbird, black bear, bobcat, porcupine, fisher, and grouse.
In 2007, Bob Poole entrusted his 134 acres of forestland on the western slope of Cacapon Mountain to a conservation easement co-held by Cacapon & Lost Rivers Land Trust and Potomac Conservancy. In 2022, he added 25 acres more to the easement’s protection. The easement’s stated Purpose is to “preserve and maintain the natural, scenic, open-space, and wildlife habitat features of the land….”
The property is entirely forested with a large spring, four ponds, and two perennial mountain streams. Karst bedrock underlays 75% of the property, forming numerous sinkholes on adjacent properties. Due to the extreme vulnerability of karst area ground water systems to contamination, the forest and streamside buffers on the Poole property help protect the water quality of the region.
The predominantly oak-hickory forest provides wildlife habitat, is growing timber, and shelters a multitude of ferns and wildflowers, including lady slippers. Wildlife include black bear, bobcat, opossum, porcupine, fisher, white-tailed deer, gray squirrel, fox squirrel, eastern cottontail rabbit, timber rattlesnake; frogs, toads, and salamanders; turkey, wood duck, scarlet tanager, great crested flycatcher, barred owl, bald eagle, golden eagle, grouse, woodcock, blue-grey gnatcatcher, whippoorwill, ovenbird, and numerous songbirds. The wood turtle, a species of special concern in West Virginia, has also been observed. The property can be viewed by the public from Cacapon State Park and Green Ridge State Forest.