Oak Woodland Restoration

The lower part of The Land is an old oak woodland of Oregon white oak, black oak, madrone and buckeye. Without fire, Douglas fir has been moving in fast, shading out the hardwoods and cutting the acorn crop that so much wildlife depends on. We release the oaks by cutting and girdling the encroaching firs. The girdled trees become standing snags, which birds and other wildlife need and which are scarce here. In 2023 we finished a project with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to protect a stand of old buckeye trees from crowding fir and bay.

  • Oaks in autumn colour at the edge of a dry meadow, with people walking toward them.
  • A large spreading tree on a rocky, grassy slope, with people standing beneath it.
  • A moss-draped oak spreads its branches over fallen leaves at the edge of a meadow.