A New View on Land Management
Winter is officially upon us and I can finally take some time and introduce myself. I joined the Belwin team in November as the Director of Ecological Restoration and since then, I have spent nearly every available moment exploring the property. Now that the snow has flown, I have some time to reflect on what I have seen.
Before even setting foot on the property, I knew that Belwin was a special place and had a variety of native plant communities and geologic features. What has surprised me most however, has been its sheer natural beauty. I have found myself inspired by the acres of native prairie grasses with their subtle fall colors; overjoyed at the variety of wetland species in the Cattail Marsh and rendered speechless by the stunning views from our hillsides.
In order to manage a property of this size, one needs to be strategic in where, when and how land management activities are carried out. After my initial tour, I began working on a management plan for the West Unit, a recent Belwin acquisition. Although the growing season came to an end before I had a chance to fully survey the area, I was able to get a strong feel for the natural history of the place and for the existing plant communities. Remnant prairie species still linger on the dry gravel outcrops, and large pockets of sedge meadow dominate the wetlands, while most of hills in the area are covered with open-grown bur oaks which tell us that that this area was once an oak savanna.
The main objective of the restoration for this area will be to remove invasive woody shrubs including buckthorn, honeysuckle, and prickly ash from the understory. Once these species are under control, savanna vegetation will be introduced from local seed sources, or if we’re fortunate they will return on their own from seeds in the soil. Once native species are established, we will maintain this community through prescribed burning. In the long term, we need to ensure that young bur oaks are able to grow in the understory so that they can, in time, replace the existing trees.
Because buckthorn seeds remain viable in the soil for a number of years and are constantly brought in through the digestive system of birds, the process of restoring savanna requires both patience and dedication. However, with a management plan to guide our efforts, I am confident that we will begin to see this important and historic plant community return to its former structure and composition within a few years time. I look forward to being a part of this rewarding and challenging mission of restoring Belwin’s natural communities.