Walnut Council Field Day at Pioneer Forest

Black Walnut

Just learned about a great opportunity that is coming up on March 28-29. The Missouri chapter of the Walnut Council is hosting 2 days of field tours near Salem. I haven't been to one of their workshops in quite a few years. Back then they were known for having some of the best field workshops about forestry in the state. This one looks to continue that tradition. And it looks like they have transitioned to white oak as the premier species of concern.

The first day is a tour of 40 year old walnut plantation that was started with seed. Then there will be a presentation by the Nature Conservancy in Missouri about forestry, which I'm making a big assumption here, might be about opportunities for helping private landowners.

The second day is a tour of an active white oak timber sale at Pioneer Forest. Pioneer Forest is a generous gift of an Ozark preserve that's worth understanding, and visiting. They are known for allowing trees to grow to maturity before cutting. Instead of cutting every tree above a certain size on a designated parcel of acres, they cut a tree here and tree there so the impact is gentle. Gentle allows the ecosystem to recover quickly by preserving ecological integrity. If you are curious about how to manage timber with minimal impact, this is the opportunity to see it in action. I'm sure lots of questions will be answered by loggers, foresters, & ecologists.

The day includes a tour of one the last remaining groves of virgin, uncut, shortleaf pine. If you enjoy reading science papers here's a study examining historical and more up-to-date trends of shortleaf pine in the Missouri Ozarks. I just surveyed a 440 acre tract that historically, was covered in pine, but today has none. Pine was an aggressively sought after commodity by the businessmen in the late 1800's/early 1900's. Today shortleaf is common along roadsides where there is ample sunlight and soil disturbance, but missing once we step into the woods.

There will be a lunch at the Echo Bluff State Park. If you haven't been, is a plunge of mid-scale resort developments by the Missouri State Parks system, in one of the most biodiverse regions of the state. I still haven't recovered from the shock of expansive pavement and tree clearing that was done in the middle of the great ecological paradise we call the Current River Hills . It's worth seeing in order to understand what the park system has been up to.

I was camping nearby for an ecological workshop hosted by Naturecite & Institute of Botanical Training, LLC and thought I would check it out, with the excuse of getting a hot breakfast at their restaurant. The drive into the park found a newly paved road with trees cleared on both sides to a considerable distance. My first impression was 'why did they cut all these trees down? In my stupor I slowed down to a crawl to try to understand better. The drive into the park felt more urban than the famed Rock Quarry road next to downtown Columbia MO.

While eating breakfast, I noticed they put a hotel on the river banks. I'm not sure the State Parks system is concerned with water quality after seeing all the bedrooms with toilets, parking lots, roads, and deforestation, so close to some of the highest quality natural waters in the state. What were those people thinking???

The website for Current River State Park states that "With its abundant aquatic fauna, it is noted as one of the Midwest’s most biologically significant waterways." The website also states that the area "includes more than 170 rare species and at least 30 species that are mostly unique to the area." This area is home to many vulnerable species that can be found no where else on the planet. Every once in awhile we all are liable to fall off the rocker. The parks folk are not immune.

INaturalists offers a glimpse of the biodiversity of the area. Workshops in this area are always refreshing and a holiday of sorts. Its a great opportunity to see what sustainable forestry looks like. Like minded people will be uniting to foster ecological integrity.