Creatures Great And Small

I recently attended a morning at a workshop in the woods about the Future Of Forest Creatures. The workshop highlighted dynamics of land owning. It doesn’t stop at the crops that are growing, the family that it sustains or the domestic animals that occupy the farm. Rather, it is comprised of complex ecosystems that revolve around grubs, bugs, invertebrates, birds and mammals that are lodgers and/or temporary migrators to the area.
The Mt. Richmond area was the setting for the workshop and we had the opportunity to hear from the experts in their fields about what kind of habitat is needed for different native species to survive and thrive. The day was an assessment of ecosystem health.
The first station sat at the edge of a ravine with tall fir trees and leggy maples. A few snags dotted the hillside with little understory and virtually no debris like fallen logs on the ground. The forest here was quiet and the habitat could be improved to encourage small mammals and birds by opening up some space while leaving some decaying trees on the ground along with the snags that are currently standing.
After a van ride and short trek through the woods, we arrived at a six acre clearing that had been harvested a couple of years ago. We heard about the need for open areas of the forest to attract diverse wildlife while leaving areas with a few old snags and debris piles on the ground in places create natural habitats for many species.
Another ride and walk brought us to a mature oak stand. This area had been logged a decade ago to remove all the fir that had been choking out the oak. With the fir gone, the stand now has a full canopy of oak branches that healthy and sustainable. While this stand was intended to encourage the Acorn Woodpecker, the environment is not yet in balance for this bird although many other species have been moving into the area.
The last station that we visited was a pasture before it was planted into Douglas Fir forty years ago and thinned within the last five years.
Here again we discussed the rational versus the irrational. We heard from experts about what can be done in areas of the woods to encourage forest creatures and how to go about initiating the process.
The idea of multiple species of plants and varying ground habitat can be implemented in the smallest of areas from container planting around the house to multi-acre plots. Variety is not only the spice of life but gives the opportunity to sustain a more diverse array of creatures great and small.