SRWA Red Spruce Rescue and Count

Times: 9:00 am to noon each day

Over the past four years, SRWA volunteers have planted over 4,000 red spruce plugs along streams in the Savage River State Forest.The goal of these plantings is to maintain conifer cover along native brook trout streams where hemlocks may be killed by the hemlock woolly adelgid, an exotic invasive insect. Now it’s time to take a break from planting and assess how many of our red spruce have survived. SRWA volunteers will help determine red spruce survivability and also rescue seedlings covered by debris during Hurricane Sandy. In addition we’ll be removing any garlic mustard and trash that we encounter along the way.

Wade Dorsey, Savage River State Forest manager, is providing logistical support. Erin Thomas, Big Run & New Germany State Park manager, is providing free camping the night before for any out-of-town volunteers. SRWA is coordinating the project and providing snacks for volunteers.

For more details or to volunteer: contact Ron Boyer at 301-895-3686 or rbiodiversity@hughes.net.