Visitors to Grant’s Woods Nature Reserve this fall may have noticed increased maintenance activities on the trails. In September, what is technically referred to in the business as a “really huge monster red oak” fell on the Hemlock Trail and took out two sizeable sugar maples on its way down while thankfully avoiding the nearby footbridge. Luckily, our talented and resourceful property maintenance volunteers eagerly got to work removing an immense amount of wood from the trail. Special thanks go out to Wes’ Tree Service for donating the time to remove some trunks that were hung-up in another large red oak.
On October, our luck ran out with regards to falling trees narrowly missing footbridges, and the “K” bridge at the southern corner of the property was unceremoniously broken in half by a falling sugar maple. Once more, our talented and resourceful property volunteers leaped into action. A temporary fix has allowed us to reopen the bridge for the winter but in the spring we’ll be installing a more permanent solution.
Grant’s Woods has an intricate and long trail system with over a dozen footbridges. Keeping the trails cleared and safe is an immense task that would not be possible without the generosity of our volunteers and supporters. To a certain extent we can avoid the issues we faced this fall by proactively identifying hazard trees along the trail and removing them before they do any harm. In fact, this past spring we hired an arborist to remove a large and dead red oak which was threatening to fall on the “J” bridge. That’s not always possible though, the red oak that fell on the Hemlock Trail in September was perfectly healthy.
If you haven’t already, please consider becoming a donor to ensure the trails you enjoy stay open and safe.
Written by Brandon Guoth, Reserve Steward.