As a large tract of land, Listening Rock Farm is home to many species of animals including several endangered species. We manage all of our farming and forestry activities to address the needs of our endangered species as the farm's highest priority. Forestry cutting schedules are managed not to interrupt breeding cycles of birds. Riparaian zones along our rivers are respected not to create stress in various mussel and fish species. We are actively involved in research to encourage the survival of our endangered species. One such reserach project is being done with the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studeis in an effort to understand the dramatic decline in fresh water mussel populations. We are working with aquatic biologist David Strayer of the Cary Insititute, to try to learn what human and environmental factors are causing the regional decline of five species of mussels in the Ten Mile River, which flows through a long portion of our farm. We are comitted to making changes to our own farming practices if they are found to be contributing factors in this decline and trying to facilitate community and national changes if the causes of the decline are farther afield.