Pollinator Habitat expands on the Ironton District of the Wayne National Forest

Volunteers and partners work together to expand pollinator gardens on the Ironton District of the Wayne National Forest.

In 2008, the Ironton District of the Wayne National Forest created 1500 square feet of pollinator habitat, a pollinator conservation awareness interpretive area and an interpretive trail. Local partners and volunteers contributed over 166 hours of time to this project.

The project started in January when Chad Kirschbaum, District Botanist and Zach Murphy, a volunteer-intern from Coal Grove High School planted seeds for over 50 different native wildflowers, grasses and sedges in germination trays. The seeds were cold stratified in the trays during the cold winter months. During the winter and spring, workers from the Federal prison camp in Summit, Kentucky constructed a growing structure with 500 square feet of shelving space to house the seedling and plug trays. The platform has a slatted roof so that the plants are shaded and do not try out too quickly in the summer.

In March and April many of the species that were sowed, germinated and began to grow. These seedlings were transplanted by volunteers from the Barn Busters and Copperheads 4-H Clubs and other volunteers in May and June. Kids and parents helped transplant thousands of seedlings to plug trays so that the plants could develop deep roots and tall shoots. The 4-H clubs were led by Shelia Tackett and Teresa Huddle. "I think the garden is a great idea. It lets people see plants and flowers from the forest that they might not be able to see in the wild. It's a way for people to see how plants in the wild grow and are pollinated. I think it's a positive thing" commented 4-H leader Shelia Teackett.

During the summer months, college students hired using the Washington Office's native plant earmark funds and other funds tended the plants by watering them frequently and making sure they were getting adequate light and shade. Summer students and prison crew members also helped prepare the planting areas by cutting and spraying the areas that were to be planted.

Jake Emmett, a seasonal biological science aid, helped design the plans for the plantings using information on the color, height and bloom time of the native plants that we had sown. The plan included carefully laid out diagrams with instructions on where to plant each group of plants in order to maximize the visibility of the wildflowers when they were in bloom.

In August, construction on the planting beds began. Hard clay and the steep slopes made the construction difficult but the first beds were finished and ready for planting by the beginning of September.

Students and their teacher, Heather Hardy, from the Rock Hill High School (RHHS) Science Club, were instrumental in getting these gardens planted. Josh Ison, a student at RHHS said, "Volunteering outdoors for the Wayne National Forest was a very fulfilling experience. My friends and I had fun and learned a lot about the plants and the outdoors. Overall it was a very enjoyable and rewarding time." Many other volunteers helped, including kids and parents from local 4-H clubs. Together they planted hundreds of plants which next summer will attract many different pollinators and beautify the District's landscaping with native plants from Southern Ohio. "Working with the Wayne National Forest has been a wonderful learning opportunity for the students. They have learned a great deal about the native plants of this area as well as their pollinators. Students were able to be involved in the process in a variety of ways. Two of the favorites were seed collection and transplanting seedlings. To see some of the pictures taken by students, go to the RHHS Science Club page on the Rock Hill Web Site" commented Heather Hardy a teacher and science club leader at RHHS.

The pollinator gardens start along the visitors parking area at the District Office. This winter signs will be installed which will greet visitors and explain the importance of pollinators and native plant species in landscaping. Behind the signs are two large trapezoid-shaped gardens which follow the sidewalk. Near the gardens, is the start of the Ironton District Office Interpretive Trail. Currently, about 50% of the trail is barrier free and open to people of all abilities. If funding is attained, we hope to develop the rest of the trail in fiscal year 2009. This trail meanders up a hillside into a second growth oak-hickory forest. One of the stops along the trail are two 5' x 100', raised native plant beds that were constructed out of treated lumber along the hillside behind the office and are easily visible from the parking lot and interpretive trail. This fall, several dozen flowering tree and shrub species were planted at the garden site and along the interpretive trail. These trees and shrubs will attract the attention of visitors and pollinators alike when they bloom this spring.

"Several visitors have already remarked that the new landscaping looks better than the hillside of weeds that it replaced" commented frontliner Edie Gillenwater.

This winter Kirschbaum and volunteers will be designing and creating plant label signs for all the plants in the garden. Using the sign, visitors to the garden will be able to see the common name, scientific name, a picture of the plant and an insect that pollinates or uses the plant for larval food.

In the future, Kirschbaum would like to extend the barrier free trail to a point to where it connects with the Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area trails. Also, along the newly created woodland trails, he would like to plant more native plant species for pollinator habitat but with a focus on woodland wildflowers, grasses and sedges.