Tionesta, Pa.:  The Army Corps of Engineers at Tionesta Lake and Volunteers for the Ruffed Grouse Society plan the renewal of alder for wildlife this March.  Woodcock, ruffed grouse, warblers, rabbits, mice, voles, bobcats, and fox all use the habitat created by an alder thicket.  As alder grows and gets too old, it starts to ‘lay down’ and roots will decay.  But, a simple and proven wildlife habitat management technique of stump cutting will remove the older stems and put abundant sunlight back on the ground and cut stump, and cause the alder to put up abundant new growth.  This new growth will provide habitat for many birds and small mammals over the next thirty years after the stump cutting.

No special skills are needed by volunteers to help on this project – come on out and help pile cuttings to create brush piles for wildlife!  If volunteers are willing to help on this project, please contact Garrett Baker at bakgar42@yahoo.com because we need to know what kind, and how many, of tools to bring to support the volunteer effort.     

Tentative date planned for the alder renewal is Sunday, March 1, with a makeup day planned for Saturday, March 7, if the weather is bad on the previous Sunday.  The meeting spot will be the parking lot of the Mt. Zion Lutheran Church at 2048 German Hill Road, Tionesta, 16353.  Volunteers should be at the parking lot by 10:00 a.m. and plan on two to three hours of work.  We will caravan to the alder site from the parking lot.  Park staff and RGS Volunteers will be available to answer any questions.

The alder renewal process involves volunteers working in teams of three.  One person with all the required safety equipment will operate a chainsaw to cut alder stumps that are one to five inches in diameter.  A second person piles brush and uses loppers to cut stumps less than one inch in size.  A third volunteer piles brush.  Boots, jackets, gloves, hats, loppers (optional), safety glasses, snacks, and drinks will be required of volunteers.  The Ruffed Grouse Society will furnish any other needed equipment.

After the alder cutting is completed, a short walking tour will be conducted for volunteers interested in seeing the nearby spring planting project area.