In the planting lull of Summer, the Waxwing crew enjoys botanizing at some regional ecosystem hot spots. These special spaces are rich in biodiversity and serve as a reference landscape in our native gardening and restoration practices. Guides for our ecological design process.
According to the Society of Ecological Restoration, an internationally acclaimed community of practioners that set global standards for building biodiversity with both social and ecological benefits, reference landscapes are models that help to “identify and communicate a shared vision of project targets and specific ecological attributes”. Abiotic and biotic conditions are considered when analyzing this reference ecosystem- how water flows (hydrology) and disturbance cycles (fire ecology, etc.) are some examples of abiotic or non-living attributes, in addition to species composition, their structure, and any successional characteristics specific to this site.
Join us on a virtual field trip of three ecological reference landscape pilgrimmges: New York’s Adirondack Mountains, New Jersey’s Pine Barrens, and Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Mountains. These spaces are inspiration to us as ecological designers, stepping into a healthy habitat, exploring how ideally our rebuilt ecosystems should feel and function.
Adirondack Mountains
New York’s ADK’s are characterized by a mix of mountains and lakes, nestled in a transition zone between deciduous and boreal forest biomes, supporting an exceptionally rich diversity of flora and fauna.
Bunch berry (Cornus canadensis), turtlehead (Chelone glabra), and plantain sedge (Carex plantaginea) were some of the memorable flora on this primitive camping and hiking trip. Explore beaver built wetlands and hike to the top of Mt. Marcy to see a rainbow, in this virtual field trip below!
Pine BARRENS
New Jersey’s Pine Barrens are a large mosaic of contiguous forest and wetland habitats composed of acidic coastal plain sands/silts/gravels. Species that thrive in low-nutrients and with fire are found in this ecosystem.
Huckleberry (Gaylussacia spp.), summersweet (Clethra alnifolia), and hyssopleaf thoroughwort (Eupatorium hyssopifolium) were some of the memorable flora on this primitive camping and hiking trip. Explore scrumptious berry patches and tannic lakes in this virtual field trip below!
Allegheny MOUNTAINS
Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Mountains, composing the state’s only national forest, is characterized by mixed hardwood tree species and are known to support more rare populations of fireflies (that synchronize their light!).
Roadside scarlet beebalm (Monarda didyma), boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), and purple-flowering raspberry (Rubus odoratus) were some of the memorable flora on this primitive camping and hiking trip. Venture barefoot through creekside groundcovers and swoon over ferny textured rock outcroppings in this virtual field trip below!
What regional ecosystems guide how you design, build, and steward your homegrown habitats? Let’s make a list of reference landscapes for Waxwingers to explore. Share and comment below!