I visited a maple syrup farm while I was home on the weekend and I decided to walk down a nearby trail as my tour guide had mentioned that they have ID tags on some of the tree species (I wanted to practice some tree ID). I arrived at the beginning of the Trillium Wood Trail at 13:43 and initially noticed the two signs which told visitors about the wildlife that is in the area, and to leave plant life be. This deciduous forest contained a wide variety of tree species such as sugar maple, American beech, red oak, black cherry, bitternut hickory, red maple, basswood and white ash. Majority of the trees had ID tags on them which was great practice for tree ID. As I continued along the trail, I was able to hear multiple black-capped chickadees
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Located adjacent to the maple syrup forest was a large plot of land that is owned by the government. While on the sugar bush tour, the guide (who was a 3rd generation owner) explained that the land in his opinion, wasn't well maintained as there are fallen limbs all throughout the forest. He felt that the government should be making a bigger effort to maintain the forest just as he does to this own. I was curious to walk down the Trillium Woods Trail, to see what he was talking about. While keeping this week’s principal in mind, I thought about what this forest would look like if there was more maintenance and I feel that the government has chosen to keep this site as natural as possible for a good reason. Despite the large, dead tree limbs on the trails and forest floor I thought that perhaps if these limbs weren’t on the forest floor decomposing and adding nutrients back to the soil; then there may not be as much tree diversity. Although many people feel it is our job to manage and manipulate nature to be ‘healthy’, we as humans cannot mimic mother nature and sometimes it is important to recognize that although a forest may not appear healthy in our eyes, it could be functioning in a way that is natural. Years before humans altered ecosystems, they functioned on their own and have adapted to many environmental
Located adjacent to the maple syrup forest was a large plot of land that is owned by the government. While on the sugar bush tour, the guide (who was a 3rd generation owner) explained that the land in his opinion, wasn't well maintained as there are fallen limbs all throughout the forest. He felt that the government should be making a bigger effort to maintain the forest just as he does to this own. I was curious to walk down the Trillium Woods Trail, to see what he was talking about. While keeping this week’s principal in mind, I thought about what this forest would look like if there was more maintenance and I feel that the government has chosen to keep this site as natural as possible for a good reason. Despite the large, dead tree limbs on the trails and forest floor I thought that perhaps if these limbs weren’t on the forest floor decomposing and adding nutrients back to the soil; then there may not be as much tree diversity. Although many people feel it is our job to manage and manipulate nature to be ‘healthy’, we as humans cannot mimic mother nature and sometimes it is important to recognize that although a forest may not appear healthy in our eyes, it could be functioning in a way that is natural. Years before humans altered ecosystems, they functioned on their own and have adapted to many environmental