I had a fun day out in the woods with the Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club in the Stony Creek valley. We spent the day planting 1,100 three year old White Pine seedlings, doing rock work and clearing blow-downs.
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- Planting White Pine seedlings.
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- Leave Nothing but Footprints.
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- SATC Rock Crew curbs erosion on the AT.
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- Rockwork crew admires a job well done.
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- Heading home after a day’s work.
The White Pine seedlings are needed to help replace the beautiful Hemlock groves which will all eventually be destroyed by the invasive Woolly Adelgid. There is no known mitigation technique to keep this foreign pest from spreading and eventually devastating every Hemlock in the northeast region. Since the Hemlocks can’t be saved, the best current plan of action is to plant young White Pines which will eventually grow to fill the same niche currently occupied by the Hemlock.
If you ever get a chance to go out on a work hike with the SATC, I highly recommend it. The people were approachable, fun and informative while the work was rewarding and enjoyable. Remember to tell them that the DATC sent you. 😉
Learn more about Central PA hiking clubs and what they have to offer.