Spring appears to finally be here for real. The last gasps of winter snows blew themselves out at the end of March and things are slowly starting to show signs of life once again.
This week marks the end of a three month battle of winter, the steep Loess Hills, and Hickory Ridge Forestry. HRF is putting the finishing touches on the weeding portion of this project to expose the western facing slopes of the hills. It will be interesting to watch changes take place over the next few years as a fire regime will be put in place to continue with the restoration process. If things go as planned, one can expect a resurgence of native prairie vegetation to creep in among the remaining higher quality hardwoods.
HRF moves back south to continue some quality property management with savanna restoration and cedar eradication. It’s also nearly time for tree planting season. The window is relatively small, but it’s a great time to start putting trees back in the ground for reforestation efforts. HRF will also be doing several shrub plantings for the re-establishment of sensitive quail habitat.
It’s going to be a busy spring. It seems as though things never really slow down. It’s a wonderful indicator of the attention public and private landowners are paying to the improvement of our natural resources. Look for new photos over the next month as Hickory Ridge Forestry moves into the spring season.