Beckets Run Woodlands

Bears at Beckets Run Woodlands. Emily Carrollo, the Pennsylvania Game Commission bear biologist, recommends that hunters looking for bears focus first on finding their food sources. Well Beckets Run Woodlands provides good and abundant fall food sources for bears, ranging from apples and pears that are now on the ground to hard-mast crops like oak, hickory and beech nuts. That’s why our cameras captured one, this week.

Finding lingering white ash trees on Beckets Run Woodlands. Approximately 7 years ago, virtually all our adult ash trees succumbed to the infection by the larvae of an exotic beetle from Asia, the emerald ash borer, which colonizes the tree and destroys its vital growth promoting tissues below the bark. The disease is well advanced nationwide, on its path to eradicate the entire ash species; but there may be hope: the lingering ash trees. These extremely rare individuals ...seem to be resistant to the disease or at least survive mild infection. Even if these trees ultimately succumb to the disease, the traits that helped them survive longer may be helpful in breeding ash trees that could be resistant. The photo shows two of our ash trees, approximately 20 years old, both infected (notice the serpentine galleries). One succumbed to the infection without response, while the other, our lingering ash #3, is actively healing, producing callous tissue over the damaged tissue. (Ash #3 also has a very nice full leaf canopy). We are currently implementing a plan to monitor and protect these rare trees and their seedlings. See more

American chestnut sapling produces its first fruits on Beckets Run Woodlands. In 2012 a hybrid seed produced by crossing American and Chinese chestnut species and designated B1 (American X (Chinese X American) was planted as part of The American Chestnut Foundation tree breeding program. The developed seedling, which died back and resprouted from the root twice, is now a 6 feet tall sapling and is producing seeds. The photo shows the 2 husks (or burs) on the sapling, which may contain 1 to 3 chestnuts each. These seeds will be collected, set up for cold stratification and germination over the winter, and the germinated seeds will be planted on Beckets Run Woodlands in early spring.

Tammy Colt, Wildlife Diversity Biologist from the Pennsylvania Game Commission inspected an area of afforestation in Beckets Run Woodlands. The trees and shrubs were planted in 2012, under her guidance, as part of the Tree and Shrub Establishment Practice to improve Forest and Forest Edge Bird Habitat funded by NRCS through the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP). These now 10-12-year-old trees not only provide shelter and food for wildlife but also capture carbon, filter water, and enhance biodiversity. For advice on Wildlife Habitat Management contact Tammy ([email protected]).

THIS YEAR: We planted and protected from deer damage 961 additional trees in Beckets Run Woodlands. Most of them are visible from Route 136.

THIS WEEK ALONG SR136 DCNR Service Forester Celine Colbert identified Japanese hop, (Humulus japonicus), a noxious invasive vine recently introduced by the road. We are starting an early and aggressive mechanical herbicide treatment to eradicate this species before it migrates further into the forest. (For information on the Japanese hop go to https://cdn.shopify.com//1/01/8808/4272/files/A3924-26.pdf)

Jeff Polonoli, an environmental scientist and Mon Valley resident, joined us surveying native plant communities along the steep slopes of Beckets Run. We are so fortunate to have enthusiastic expertise nearby.

OUR FIRST BLOOMING REDBUD TREE. We just learned from DCNR Forester Celine Colbert of an initiative to plant 1500 American redbud trees in the Pittsburgh area, to kick-off spring in the city. Beckets Run Woodlands is doing its share in the suburbs. In fact, we are celebrating the first bloom of the 100 American redbud seedlings we planted in 2016 along the headwaters of Beckets Run. These native trees will enhance the beauty and scenery of Beckets Run Woodlands along SR 136.... To learn more about this important PA native tree read Celine’s article in the WWIA Spring 2020 Newsletter here: https://drive.google.com//191xFV43zkccU7OoiMUCpKJ9LT/view

LAST WEEK ALONG ROUTE 136 (Part 3) Making progress! We picked up all the litter, stacked invasive plants in brush piles for wildlife habitat and started planting Pennsylvania native tree species at high density to outcompete invasive plants.

LAST WEEK ALONG ROUTE 136 (Part 2) Finding very large amounts of litter. How do we stop this from happening?

LAST WEEK ALONG ROUTE 136 (Part 1) Removing invasive trees, shrubs and vines, primarily tree of heaven, honeysuckles and oriental bittersweet.

Our four favorite spring ephemerals (plants with short life cycle): Snow trillium with spent flowers; and Great white trillium, Red trillium and Yellow trout lily all three now blooming. We find these flowers on our steep wooded hillsides and ravines. Look for them on your property today! Have a wonderful safe walk in the woods.

Planting a #TrillionTrees is great, but let's not forget about the work that must be done to improve the management of our existing forests. With ownership of ...38% of America's woodlands, family forest owners are a key player in both the planting of new trees and the management of existing ones. See more

Maintaining sustainable healthy forests will at some point require timber harvesting, which in turn requires a market for that wood. Unfortunately, the Pennsylvania hardwood industry continues to struggle.

ARTICLE IN WWIA News, Fall 2019, page 7 "Showcase a Resource: Partners for Fish and Wildlife at California University of PA" by Janet Sredy & Raul Chiesa, Beckets Run Woodlands

Thank you Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services for a very informative presentation at our annual business meeting.

A great opportunity to learn about Utility Right-of-Ways on your land.