What Grows Up, Must Come Down

Some of the characteristics of an old-growth forest include dead trees on the ground as well as dead trees still standing.  Unfortunately, here at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest there is sometimes an issue during the transition from "dead and standing" to "dead and on the ground."

Sometime on Tuesday, two branches and two dead trees, possibly still soaked from Sunday's rain, lost their respective battles with gravity and passed through the boardwalk on their way to the ground.  Three of the the breaks were relatively easy to repair, but the cypress tree that came through the rest area at #6 required a full-blown replacement.  Today was day two for repairs that included hauling all the lumber and tools out to the sites and hauling out all the broken boardwalk lumber and tools once the work was completed.

Although we are in the process of raising funds to replace the current boardwalk with a wider, more-durable version, there will continue to be a need for repair as the old-growth swamp continues its normal function of falling apart!

Images by Mark Musselman