Forest Restoration at FRNC
—Danny Molinaro, Director of Conservation and Land Stewardship
What is forest restoration?
Forest Restoration is the combined action of restoring ecological processes which aim to accelerate the recovery of forest structure, ecological function and biodiversity (Yale 2020). The Rye Nature Center is predominantly a mixed hardwood forest habitat. A major conservation need when it comes to the land stewardship of our 47-acre preserve is the removal of invasive plants and reintroduction of biodiverse plant communities, native to the Northeast region. In case you are wondering what land stewardship is, it is the act of working with the land and community to protect and restore the different native habitats, creeks, wildlife corridors, and productive farms.
In addition to our conservation staff, much of our forest restoration and land stewardship is completed by hard-working volunteers. This fall we have had a mixture of dedicated and curious individuals supporting our efforts on a variety of projects. These volunteers range from high schoolers, college students, recent graduates, and interested community members. Manhattanville College is one such group which brings students each Wednesday to help put Rye Nature Center’s habitat management plans into action.
This October, conservation projects focused on planting native trees and shrubs in sections of the forest under active or soon-to-be active invasive management. These areas have been identified as the areas with the greatest need of intervention via forest restoration practices. Several of our recently planted native tree species include tulip trees (Liriodendron tulipifera), American sycamores (Platanus occidentalis), and river birch (Betula nigra). Some of our selected native shrub species include staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina), arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum), and red-twig dogwood (Cornus sericea).
Interested in becoming a volunteer at the Rye Nature Center? Contact Danny, Director of Conservation and Land Stewardship, at dannymolinaro@ryenaturecenter.org