Background:
The US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and
Wildlife Program partnered with Granville Exempt School District, Denison
University, Licking Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), and Dawes
Arboretum to transform a 40 acre agricultural field into a diverse land lab for
area students. Habitat types will
include several communities of Native Warm Season Grass, reforestation, early
successional habitat (ESH), pollinator habitat, as well as several types of
wetland. These newly restored habitats
will provide habitat for numerous migratory bird species throughout the year as
well as other native Ohio wildlife.
Surface water from surrounding agricultural fields and parking lots will
be treated in newly created wetlands to improve water quality. The main purpose of this collaboration was to
provide a unique educational experience for local k-12 students that would
allow for hands on learning in the science disciplines.
Status Report:
The land lab project at the Granville Intermediate school
building is nearing completion. The wetland
phase of this project is slated to begin the beginning of August and take
approximately 2 weeks to complete. This phase
involves the creation of 4 wetland areas that will provide quality habitat for
migratory birds, reptiles and amphibians, but more importantly, a unique
educational experience for the faculty and students of the Granville School
District. The final phase will be
completed this November and will include the planting of over 2,000 early
successional shrubs and 200 additional potted hardwoods.
The establishment of the land lab was started last fall and
involved the planting of over 1,000 potted hardwood trees. This initial planting effort included several
species of oak and hickory, as well as some more unique species such as Paw
Paw, Basswood and Sugar Maple. The
planting was finally completed in late November 2013 and was followed by a
protection effort that involved the placement of tree tubes around each planted
tree. Volunteers braved subzero
temperatures and snowfall to complete this critical task and the fruits of
their labor were realized this past spring as the trees broke dormancy and
began their annual growth cycle. The
trees have flourished with the mild summer and above average rainfall
amounts. Passing by the site, you will
undoubtedly notice the numerous tree tops protruding from the tops of the green
tubes.
In February 2014 the grass establishment component of this
project was initiated. Native warm
season grass (NWSG) and forbs were frost seeded, in several locations across
the site, on top of the snow with an ATV and broadcast seeder. These areas are showing great growth and
some of the planted species are already visible from the road. The remainder of the NWSG and forbs were
seeded utilizing a no till drill pulled behind a tractor. Approximately 28 acres of the site were
seeded in May of 2014. As of the third
week of July, the grass and forbs are doing incredible. This is by far the best first year planting I
have seen in my professional career as a wildlife biologist. I was able to identify approximately 25 of
the 40 newly planted forb species and 6 of the 10 grass species that were
included in our selected mixes. This
establishment has been truly incredible, considering most of these species take
several years to make their presence known.
From a biologist and wildlife point of view, the site is
looking fantastic and is providing exceptional habitat. The establishment periods between planting
and maturity can often take 2 or 3 years with NWSG, but this period often
provides some of the best habitat. As
you drive by on the road you may see just a bunch of “weeds” growing across the
site. These “weeds” are actually annual
forbs and provide quality habitat and food resources for migratory songbirds,
small mammals, deer, turkey and whole range of other critters. Noxious weeds will be continually targeted on
the site during establishment. To date,
2 small patches of Johnson grass have been treated on the site. The site will be evaluated for mowing
periodically during the next couple years as necessary. Current conditions do not indicate the need
to mow.
To those involved with the planning and implementation of
this great project, it is easy to appreciate and get excited about the progress
we have made and the phases that the site will go through as it works toward
maturity. I encourage everyone to get
out there and walk around and enjoy the beauty that is now your Granville
Schools land lab. Your commitment and
enthusiasm has been tremendous and it has been my pleasure to be your partner
on this great project.
Sincerely,
Brent Sodergren
Fish and Wildlife Biologist
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Newark, OH