If you hiked our red or tan trail this past Saturday you may have noticed some busy workers in the forest. They weren't brownies or forest elves but our loyal volunteers and their families. In an effort to reforest the part of the park that was cut last year due to gypsy moth destruction, Oregon Ridge partnered with the American Chestnut Society and had a tree planting. Seedlings were planted in a grove and now are protected from deer by cages.
These trees are offspring from mother trees that survived the dreaded blight which killed chestnut trees across America. Oregon Ridge and the Society will monitor the growth of these trees over time to see if any of them have the same genetic disposition as the mother. If a strain shows hope, then it will be planted more frequently than a strain that doesn't.
We planted 103 trees altogether. It was a beautiful, windy day and everyone was in good spirits. Thanks to all of our volunteers who showed up to help. You are ensuring the survival of a forest ecosystem on the Ridge for years to come!
