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HomeMy WebLinkAboutwillards_woods_presentation_6.17.21Land Management Assessment and Planning Land Stewardship Inc. Structural Features *Based on track and sign observation, shared photographs, auditory confirmation, and wildlife camera captures Great horned owl -Bubo virginianus Tony Varella 2017 Eastern coyote -Canis latrans Raccoon -Procyon lotorOpossum –Didelphis virginiana Frank Lukisseck Whitetail deer Odocoileus virginianus * Based on track and sign observation, shared photographs, auditory confirmation, and wildlife camera captures Red squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus Grey squirrel Sciurus carolinensis Eastern cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus Untamed Science Project Upland Lewis Gorman White footed mouse Peromyscus leucopus Black legged tick Ixodes scapularus nps.gov Red Tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis •Field Encroachment •Trail Deterioration •Dogs, the Public, & Wildlife •Visitor Management •Forest Pests •Climate Change •Invasive Plants Winged euonymus Euonymous alatus Oriental bittersweet Celastrus orbiculatus Multiflora rose Rosa multiflora Shrub honeysuckle Lonicera Glossy buckthorn Frangula alnus Darabus 2010 Autumn Olive Elaeaganus umbellata Japanese knotweed Fallopia japonica Common buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica Norway maple Acer platanoides Garlic mustard Alliaria petiolata Indiana Forest Alliance Black swallowwort Cynanchum louiseae Purple loosestrife Lythrum salicaria Photo Credit: Mass Audubon Photo Credit: Mass Audubon Promote Biodiversity •Invasive Plant Management •Native Plantings •Pests and Pathogens •Wildlife Structures •Pollinator Support •Monitoring Encourage System Complexity •Diversity of Habitats •Functionality •Addressing Forest Regeneration •Carbon Sequestration •What’s missing? •What does the system want to be? Address Landscape Stressors •Invasive Plants •Dogs & Wildlife •Human Wildlife Interface •Erosion •Deer Overabundance •Climate Change •Bird and Bat house installation/maintenance •Cedar tree management •Continued garlic mustard pulling •Stone wall vegetation clearing –Select areas •Invasive Plant Management •Mill Pond Area –continued restoration •Updated field mowing regime Resources: •Field edge reclaiming •Apple orchard planting •Glossy buckthorn plan •Invasive plant management •Field restoration Infrastructure: •Kiosk and sign revitalization •Parking area improvements •Trail repair and improvements •Picnic area upgrades •Universally Accessible Trail •Safety Concerns •Climbing bittersweet •Potential Vernal Pools •Wetlands & Buffers •Early Action Populations •Fields & Encroachment Grassroots Wildlife Conservation Program http://www.grassrootswildlife.org/ Native Plant Trust https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/ Photo credit: UNH Extension Willard’s Woods already hosts an impressive diversity of natural communities and resources. By paying attention to what these areas naturally want to be and considering the stressors that they face, we can improve and encourage their overall health, functionality and resiliency with as little impact as possible. This strategy is key for successful long-term management, especially when faced with an ever- changing climate. The continued engagement and support from the public will go a long way in maintaining the overall health of this landscape and keeping the balance necessary to sustain it.