A Tree Does Not Make a Forest

I presented this document to the Chesapeake Bay Executive Order forum
in Harrisburg on December 15, 2009

A tree does not make a Forest.
In my opinion, just planting trees and shrubs along streams is not going to do the job of controlling the nutrients entering the Bay. To get a forest ecosystem established at these sites will take a generation or more. Meanwhile there is the normal die-off of plantings and the high cost of herbicides and labor to control the variety of invasive plants growing in these landscapes
In South Londonderry Township where I live, two riparian buffer projects are examples of what happens when there is no real follow through with maintenance.

1. The three acre Stoffel site along the Conewago Creek in SW Lebanon Co. was used to do research by State and Local officials. The program ran from 2003 until 2008 and according to the landowner only about 5 % of the trees and shrubs planted over that time survived. The native grasses that were planted including Deer Tongue did just fine. He thinks the project was a failure, but I see it as a success, because it demonstrates what may work better than using just trees and shrubs.
2. In 2004 the CBF spent $12,000 to plant, stake and tube about 100 trees and shrubs in the Kreider’s Glen Natural Area in Campbelltown. No maintenance was done and in a recent survey only about half of the plants had survived. If 50 trees survived that is $240/tree. In the current economic times this is NOT cost effective.
I have been planting native wildflower and warm season grass meadows for the past seven years. Most of the meadows are in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties.

My suggestion:
Plant native wildflower and warm season grass meadows as stream buffers in conjunction with shrub and tree plantings.
Procedure
1. Plant a meadow of native wildflowers and grasses on the selected site FIRST.
2. Allow at least two to three years for the meadow plants to establish their root system and take over the site.
3. Once the meadow is well established, plant the trees and shrubs right in the meadow. They will not need to be staked, the vegetation will hold them up, There will be little need for herbicides, because the thick native meadow vegetation will smother out most invasive plants. I believe voles will have so much to eat, that an occasional woody plant will not interest them. The hardy woody plants will soon stand above the meadow plants and eventually through the natural process of succession the site will become a forest.

I do not have cost estimates for this, but considering you can establish a meadow in one summer and a forest will take a generation, this method of establishing buffers along streams and wetlands makes a lot of sense.

The Ecological Effects
With a native plant meadow, you have food, cover and general habitat for a whole host of creatures including butterflies, bees, birds and mammals---all of whom are losing habitat as we develop areas for human use. The addition of native trees and shrubs will accelerate the move from farm field or pasture to a natural, diverse ecosystem. Using this method of stream clean up benefits all the living organisms in this intricate ecosystem from the butterflies of Lebanon County to the crabs crawling around in the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay.

WE CAN DO THIS.

The Ghost Plant

We discovered the white milkweed I call "The Ghost Plant" in July of 2007. It produced one flower in 2007 which resulted in one seed pod. I collected the single pod on October 11, 2007.

There were 195 seeds in that 2007 pod. I gave most of the seeds to a variety of people with no obvious result, so in February of 2009 I planted the seed I had remaining in pots in my basement. I had 16 germinate and after "mother-henning" them all summer I have 12 that survived their first growing season. I planted six of them in the ground, put 5 asleep in my basement and gave one to a colleague.

In 2008 the plant again produced 1 flower, but for unknown reasons no seed pod formed.

In 2009 I found the plant when is was just forming its buds and I tried to keep tabs on it all summer as it went through its life cycle. As you can see from the photos, this year it formed multiple pods almost immediately upon setting seed. It was really exciting to see four fully formed pods in August. I am told one milkweed flower producing four mature seed pods is a rather rare event. The question was---would these pods survive the ravages of weather, insects and possibly human interference to reach maturity? The answer was, yes. On October 1, 2009 I squeezed each pod and all four popped indicating they were ready to collect.


The four seed pods produced by "The Ghost" in 2009 had a total of 465 seeds. I have begun to distribute the seed to individuals who will propagate this plant and share it with others.

The question that remains is---Will the new plants produce white flowers? We won't know that until the plant goes through its life cycle.

The most important question is---What is this thing?

The consensus, of those who have examined the plant up close, is that this plant is a white variety of Purple Milkweed. The leaves, flowers and pods all resemble Purple Milkweeds, so the relationship is pretty strong, but only time and the work of people who grow this beautiful plant will give us the answers.

WILDLIFE WATCHING----Getting Ready for Winter

Millions of Americans spend a lot of time wildlife watching. This interest encompasses everyone from the hunter looking for that "Big Rack" to the house bound persons watching the butterflies and hummingbirds flitting around their garden. Whether it's birds, lnsects, mammals, reptiles or amphibians, we humans seem to have a facination with the other creatures that share our space.For most of us, bird watching is the easiest and least expensive. You don't need to do a lot of traveling unless you really want to and the great thing about this is, that these beautiful creatures come visit us at our homes. Some like the Cardinals, Chickadees and Blue Jays are with us year round, while others are summer residents and still others only stop for a short visit on their trip to North or South.Birds need food, water and cover if they are to survive their visit to your space.

Since humans have arrived in North America, we have developed the land to suit our needs with out much thought given to the original inhabitants.

The truth is that if natural habitat does not exist on your property, you will have to create it, if you want birds and other creatures to visit. Native trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers are what you need to attract the greatest variety of birds. These plants are the food sources and cover plants these creatures have evolved with over thousands of years and will provide the greatest benefit for both you and the birds.

Putting up a bird feeder is pretty easy and you will get visitors in a relatively short time. To protect your investment in feeders and seed you need to develop some strategies to keep other creatures from eating what you are providing for the birds.

On average I have 12 to 15 furry rats (better known as Gray Squirrels ) in my yard every day during the winter. They are fun to watch, but can be very destructive to the expensive bird feeders we buy to feed our feathered friends. Squirrels are very intelligent and are great problem solvers. I have discovered the best solution to Squirrel problems is prevention.

I have 3 suggestions.

ONE: Put your feeder on a metal post at least 8 to 10 feet off the ground.

TWO: Position your feeder at least 15 to 20 feet from the nearest tall tree or building so they can not jump to the feeding station.
THREE: Always place a metal baffle on the pole right below the feeder---don't use a plastic one, they will chew it. Don"t bother with a "Squirrel-proof" feeder---they have them all figured out.

Water is always a problem for wildlife in the winter. I have tried several things with limited success. This past winter I was very pleased with my current effort. I bought a heater for a cattle watering tank at Tractor Supply and installed it into my shallow water garden.

It works great, even at zero temperatures. The birds visiting my feeders drink at this site all day. Squirrels and deer also visit this spot for a drink. This device turns on when the temperature gets near freezing and keeps an area about 3 to 5 feet wide ice free.

It is my opinion the most valuable item you can provide for wildlife in the winter is not birdseed. It is beef suete. I buy it in hunks of 10 to 13 pounds at a butcher shop. I cut it up into small pieces and stick the extra in the freezer for use later. It costs about 30 to 40 cents per pound and it is a lot cheaper and better for the birds than the "cakes".
If you make a feeder use 1/2 inch hardware cloth---Pileated Woodpeckers will destroy smaller mesh. Also make it secure from raccoons and bears.

If you want wildlife to visit your habitat, besides food and water, you must provide some kind of cover. As demonstrated by the first photo ,there are creatures "out there " who will eat your invited "friends". Predation is a natural process and is part of the ecosystem we find ourselves in. However, in modern suburbia and around most building in this country we humans have planted a lot of green concrete (lawn) which provides no food or cover for the thousands of creatures once found there.

Simple Solutions---

ONE: Plant native wildflowers, grasses, shrubs and trees---they survive better and are part of the native creature's normal habitat. I have planted about 100 Hemlocks on my 6 acres and so far they have survived current threats. Around feeders they should be pruned to make them bushy. Other fruit bearing native shrubs also can provide some cover but in winter evergreens work best.

Unmowed meadows of native wildflowers and grasses provide both food and cover all winter. Some people think they are messy, but I think they are beautiful.

TWO: Make brush piles next to feeders and then sprinkle seed over the pile. It will give the Juncoes and White-throated Sparrows a place to dive into when the Sharp-Shinned Hawk shows up. You can always move the pile when Spring comes if you need to.

OAKS

I love oaks. I live on 6 acres dominated by oak trees. They are tall, beautiful and majestic as they lift lobed-leaves to the heavens seeking the sunshine they need to survive. Each Summer and Fall their acorns shower down on us as the squirrels cut them from the stems and drop the empty hulls to the ground below.

I appreciate the oaks most of all in the winter for the warmth their wood provides as it burns in my wood stoves. The red oaks are the best fire wood trees in the forest. The grow straight, tall with only a few branches and provide a wood that is easy to cut and split. We have used a wood stove for our primary heat source since 198o. At least 9o % of the wood I have burned over that time was from red oaks.Oaks are the most ecologically valuable tree in the woods as well.

Besides the squirrels other creatures such as deer, bears, turkeys and the various rodents that call the oak forest home gain much of their food from the acorns and brouse oaks provide.Posted by Dick Brown

Green Concrete

We are surrounded by Green Concrete. It is found in parks, playgounds, people's yards, schools, corporate headquarters and college campuses throughout America. It encircles our homes in small towns, rural areas and the big cities.

So how do we humans react to Green Concrete? What else? We turn it into a money making proposition. We pay to have it "installed"; we fertilize it to make it greener; we buy water to keep it green; we spend MILLIONS of dollars for toys to keep it in its place; we use MILLIONS of gallons of oil and natural gas products to maintain it and then complain because it makes us work TOO hard.

The modern American landscape is covered with Green Concrete. We raise 40 million acres of it ( you can call it lawn, I prefer green concrete) every year. Have you tried eating the grass in your yard lately? Right , it tastes awlful. Guess what, nothing eats it unless you import sheep or cows. Oh, I take that back---Canada Geese love it and you can find lots of poop as evidence.

The only thing more sterile than the American lawn is concrete or blacktop. If a "weed" or "bug" appears we spray it. We add fertilizer to make it greener. We water it when it gets dry and complain when we have to mow it.

Why not "plant" green astroturf?---it stays green, needs no water or fertilizer and you never have to mow it. Damages from lawn maintenance: The fertilizers and sprays pollute our water ways; the fumes from the mowers create air pollution; the fuels and chemicals used to maintain it are mostly derived from fossil fuels; the noise is annoying and damaging to our hearing; watering lawns is a waste of precious water; turf absorbs very little runoff from rain storms; and worst of all, almost nothing can use it as a home.

So, I say look at your landscape and eliminate some of your lawn. Replace it with native trees, shrubs, wildflowers and grasses. The changes will amaze you. You will get insects, birds, mammals and other creatures visiting you and enjoying the habitat that your work has created.Join the native plant movement.

Your world will thank you.

To Learn more---Send an e-mail to dickbrownnpan@gmail.com

Natural Area program in South Londonderry Twp. Leb. Co. PA

In 2007 the supervisors of South Londonderry Township established an Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) to provide input for the Township on environmental issues. Also the EAC was charged with coming up with a program to protect the natural areas of the Township.

In 2008 the Natural Area Committee of the EAC came up with guidelines for designating a property as a Natural Area. A brochure was produced and is being used to educate the residents of the Township on the value of this program.

There are two basic goals.

The first is to encourage residents to preserve and protect the woodlots, wetlands and meadows that have native vegetation and are providing food, cover and habitiat for the creatures found in this area. This municipality is a mixture of rural areas and suburbia. Most residents want to retain the "country" feel of the area and this program provides residents with a mechanism to work toward preserving the beauty of the community



The second, is to assist citizens who want to move away from green concrete (lawn) and wall paper flowers, shrubs and trees (alien plants that look good, but provide little benefit to wildlife) to a landscape of native wildflowers, grasses, shrubs and trees. The creatures living here need native plants for food and thrive when they have undistrubed habitat to raise young. Native landscapes reduce our carbon footprint and provide habitat for the butterflies, birds and other living things that we enjoy seeing on our properties. Native plants require less energy, eliminate the need for pesticides, are better adapted to the local climate and generally cost less to maintain than the usual American yard of lawn and non-native flowers, shrubs and trees.



In 2008 nine properties totalling about 40 acres were designated as Natural Areas within the Township. In 2009 we hope to continue to add more properties to the program .



You can download a copy of the Natural Area brochure by going to the Township's website listed under Websites---Native Plant information . The document is located under "Boards" and EAC.





I am chairman of the EAC, so if you have any questions feel free to contact me.

NATIVE PLANT ACTION NETWORK

Native Plant Action Network
Dick Brown
Mt. Gretna, PA
E-mail: dickbrownnpan@gmail.com
motto: “We are all in this together”.


I have decided to focus on environmental issues that show our species how it can act locally and have a global impact. Energy, water quality, solid waste, air pollution, global warming, and other similar environmental issues all involve large numbers of people making difficult decisions. Result: Needed change comes very slowly, if at all.

Everyone lives on some piece of land somewhere and thus has an opportunity to have an impact on their local community. All land areas whether they be mowed lawns, farmed fields or vacant city lots, had in the past an assemblage of native plants growing there. So?

I am suggesting that we work where we can---in our own landscapes, yards, gardens, etc. to establish and maintain native trees, shrubs, wildflowers and grasses. A landscape of concrete, blacktop, mowed lawn and alien plants is sterile and isolates us from the real world. By establishing plants native to the area where we have our home or our business, we give a wide variety of organisms a place to live and create a healthier environment for everyone.

My goal with the Native Plant Action Network is to provide information and assistance to anyone who is interested in moving toward a more natural landscape.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I will do what I can to help.