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Preserving the Quiet Wild of Nature for future generations
The staff in the land stewardship department at Fontenelle Forest is often called upon to rescue lost hikers, find a lost watch or cell phone, inspect a report of a power outage or remove a downed tree over a trail. When we are not busy with Ranger tasks, we are…
#savetheoaks
Save the oaks; what does this phrase mean? At Fontenelle Forest, this phrase has a broad definition, from invasive species removal to mapping and public meetings to prescribed fire. Life for the Fontenelle Forest Conservation Department has taken an interesting step forward in our evolution to become a more efficient…
Habitat Restoration
“He who owns a veteran bur oak owns more than a tree. He owns a historical library, and a reserved seat in the theater of evolution.” – Aldo Leopold Within Fontenelle Forest, the bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) provides shelter and food to a multitude of native animals including deer, squirrels,…
Invasive Species
“These species are not inherently bad. They’re just in the wrong place.” – David Lodge An invasive species is a species of plant (or other living thing) which is not native to an area and has a detrimental effect on the ecological community. We have several plants that have taken…
Nature’s Helpers
“Man must learn that his current path is not suitable for Earth, and soon, Earth won’t be sustainable for man.” –Donald L. Hicks Without our volunteers, we would not have the manpower to keep up with—let alone restore—our habitats. We have a group that meets several Saturday mornings a year,…
Prescribed Burn
“Here’s where redesign begins in earnest, where we stop trying to be less bad and start figuring out to be good.” – William McDonough Photos by Alex Wiles Fire is a natural part of many ecological communities. Historically, Native Americans would set fire to prairies, keeping the woody vegetation at…
Erosion Control
“Nature doesn’t have a design problem. People do.” – William McDonough/Michael Braungart To mitigate this problem, a contractor and Fontenelle Forest staff installed a storm water piping system, stabilized the hollow’s steep grade, and seeded the area with native grasses. Three weeks after the project was completed, the area experienced…