Morse Preserve in Alton is one of our favorite places to hold a workday. You really can't beat the views at lunchtime on this reservation! That's why, when socked in clouds and thunderstorms were predicted for the first day we picked for this workday, we decided to wait for a more "appropriate" weather forecast. Not to mention, it's no fun to be wielding metal tools on the exposed top of Pine Mountain in a lightening storm...
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| Land Stewards and staff go over the task list |
Our second try at hosting the Morse Preserve workday was perfect- bluebird skies and comfortable temperatures too. A group of 9 staff and stewards fanned out across the property to get some work done. Two volunteers went to prune dead wood off of several old field apple trees, in anticipation of using this reservation as the site of our annual spring Wild Apple Tree Release and Pruning workshop next March. The pruners were undaunted by vicious tangles of multiflora rose (ouch!) and the height of some of the dead wood in these trees. Jason and Len pruned off mountains of dead wood, and then Wendy helped finish off the process by removing the really big dead limbs with a chainsaw. Sagging limbs were propped up with birch supports, and the trees are already looking happier in advance of their big pruning workshop debut.
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| Jason Morris climbs up to prune an old apple (photo by W. Weisiger) |
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| Apple tree, post dead wood removal (photo by Jason Morris) |
Also on the task list was a lot of trail maintenance. The trails at Morse Preserve pass through many open areas of early-successional habitat. It is one of our goals at the property to maintain a rotation of early successional habitats (field, shrubs, and young saplings) for the many wildlife species that either need or use these areas. But trails through these open areas grow in fast, even with regular use, so we spent a good portion of our workday brushing back the trail system. Brush saws and loppers helped us do this, and we also spent some time popping up stump-sprouting roots where the trail passes through woods.
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| Suzanne removes trimmings from the brush saw from one of the open trails |
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| Bella finds some shade (photo by Jason Morris) |
Lunch was... well, amazingly beautiful as usual, from the top of Pine Mountain. The only thing missing was that handful of ripe blueberries that you can forage on the top. The trails are looking better than ever, however, in advance of blueberry season- so don't forget to stop by!
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| Bob and Bob take in the views at lunch |
