June 18, 2007 UNE Trailblazers help restore native shrublands at Rachel Carson NWR. USFWS Photo.

On June 18, 2007 twenty-two volunteers from University of New England (UNE) Trailblazers helped with New England Cottontail (NEC) habitat restoration at Libby Field in the Spurwink River Division of Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge.  UNE Trailblazers are a group of pre-freshmen students at UNE that participate in community service projects as a part of their orientation. There were two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, for a total of 7 hours.     

New England cottontails are listed as a candidate species for the Endangered Species List.  Research has shown a drastic decline in population and range in which this rabbit species currently lives.  Loss of habitat is the main cause of population decline.  To help increase NEC populations, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge has a plan to restore native habitat in areas where the rabbits are known to exist or have inhabited historically.  The main goal at Libby Field is to plant shrubs and small trees in order to "speed up" the regeneration process of an old field so it becomes shrubland habitat suitable for New England cottontails. In 2005 and 2006, a variety of native trees and shrubs were planted at Libby Field, including speckled alder, gray birch, black chokeberry and silky dogwood, among others. By planting shrubs in specific areas we create corridors for the cottontail to access for feeding and reproduction, while also enhancing cover to escape predators.

The objective in June was to remove tree protectors from the shrubs and small trees that were previously planted in Libby Field, to allow the plants to expand their growth outwards.   We removed over 800 tree protectors and flagged shrubs that did not survive the fall planting season.  We also had a chance to remove some invasive autumn olive.   Invasive plant removal is an important component in NEC restoration because it allows the native shrubs that we plant more success in providing the desired shrubland habitat.

The student volunteers were energetic and were genuinely interested in helping the refuge. Removing the invasive plants even became a team-building activity for them while working together on removing a particularly large autumn olive. It was an enjoyable experience for everyone involved and helped the refuge meet goals for NEC habitat restoration.