Forestkeepers

A CEL1, created 5 October 2011, "Forestkeepers" is a group of students who take care of the woods around Hampshire College.
Hampshire College is fortunate to be surrounded by extensive woods easily accessible for class projects, scientific research, personal reflection and recreation. And, in a world where wild areas are ever diminishing and under threat, we have an opportunity to preserve and cherish a bit of recovering wild land as it regenerates from hundreds of years of European land use practices. Members of the “Forestkeepers” CEL1 will take primary responsibility for monitoring, mapping, cleaning up and in every way caring for our wooded land. Initial work will simply entail hauling out trash, making signs, marking trails, cataloging species and maintaining maps. We will work in pairs to walk the woods as often as possible, monitoring anthropogenic change, as well as natural events such as those caused by wind, rain and ice, maintaining a text, photo and sound log on a public College website. Resources pending, we may build and repair bridges and trails. In the long run, I hope that Forestkeepers will eventually become the central decision point for discussing and regulating how we interact with our forest.

MEMBERS
Larry Winship, sponsor ljwNS@hampshire.edu

Hannak Wilk, TA

Louise O'Neil

Shannon Panasiuk       srp11@hampshire.edu

McLean Zauner            mlz11@hampshire.edu

Alicia Crook                acc11@hampshire.edu

Will Shattuc                wbs11@hampshire.edu

PROJECTS
1 - improve mapping using GPS and GIS

2 - mark and label trails (I can make wooden signs with my router!)

3 - species list

4 - remove trash and dangerous sculptures

LOG
Friday, 7 October 2011 - morning

NS125T class walked north part of woods, out to the fields east of S. Maple Street - signs of old logging for firewood - on Hampshire property? Removed the platic tape person from along the Bubble Brook

Wednesday, 7 March 12:30-1

Its sunny and the river is beginning to unfreeze. I don't see any fry in the water but the banks are swollen as the snow on the trees finishes melting. I heard owls, but I'm not sure how many (I think three). I looked it up and one of them was a Great Horned Owl. There was also a stellar jay. Very loud. The mountains are turning green. - Will

thursday, 8 March 2012 - 2-3 pm

entered woods at trail beginning by multisport center. noticed dog tracks in mud - lets us know who is using the trails. walked to pine/ hemlock stand by cornfield. picked up some pieces of plastic along the trail. saw a dead rabbit near a fire pit - unsure of how it died - no signs of predators. quite a few people in this portion of the woods. quite a bit of broken glass and pieces of plastic, maybe part of garbage bags. exited by tennis courts. -alicia &amp; shannon

saturday,10 march 1-5pm

spent a lot of time out today, picked up a lot of trash by the piney foresty spot close to the pretty bonfire pit. so much broken glass. picked up a bit. saw many squirrels. dog tracks. sat under a nice pine tree near the creek. meditated/observed. - McLean

sunday, 10 march 10:30am-12:30pm

walked in the woods at the trail near the multi-sports center. moved some logs out of the trail. saw many birds, not sure what kind. picked up trash along trail. walked for a while and ended up exiting behind the farm near greenich. nice morning walk.- McLean

Wednesday, 27 March 3:15-4:15

Today is sunny but windy. I went to the staricase to get a higher view. The trees are beginning to bud and the ground cover is bursting. I visited Manheim (a gross collection of tents) and the Story Circle (that big clear patch in the pines) and finally went to the sweat lodge. There is a new art piece, an iron cage with rabbit ears, chained to a tree. Finally I went to the Zen Garden where a big dog showed up and licked me. - Will

Friday, 29 March 4:20-6:10

Today is overcast. The big dog from earlier was back. I was walking through the field when I saw a piece of a fire hydrant impaled in the grass. There is a new sculpture in a tree, a rock with a green spiral. I heard a barn owl and saw a stellar jay. - Will

Sunday, 31 March 6:35-7:35

Today is cloudy. There are more trees down than I remember last time. Maybe the wind? The creeks have shrunk becuase less rain and snow. I went to the trampoline and bounced around. There were squirrels and a rabbit. - Will

Monday, 1 April 6-7

Today is rainy. I went to the staircase but there was too much fog and I couldn't see anything. The ground was saturated with water and the thorns were growing a lot. Not sure about the other plants though. - Will

Tuesday, 2 April 7:10-8:20

Today was clear skies. I went back to the trampoline. Not much changed. I heard dogs and owls, but didn't see any. - Will

thursday, 12, april 12:00pm-3pm

entered woods through farm entrance behind greenich. found a whole lot of cups and mugs (keg hunt) picked up some, along with some bottles and cans. also a lot of plastic eggs. had a nice, nasty trashbag after this trip. nice day. - McLean

saturday, 14 april 10am-3pm

spent the majority of my day in the woods, today. picked up more glass by firepit. squirrels were very out and about today. so were students. I read for a while at the edge of the field near the firepit. packed a lunch and ate it here while admiring a hawk swirl above me. - McLean

Tuesday, 17 April ???

Today was sunny. Fiddleheads were everywhere! I guess someone had been repairing things because the sweat lodge and tin shack were looking much better. The rocks we put in the cage were toppled. Some one later told me they looked like a baby. The river has receded a bit. Squirrels were out and about. - Will

sunday, 22 april 6pm-9pm

went on an evening walk with some friends towards the hampshire tree. removed some brush on the trails leading to it. found some ciggerette buts at various fire pits along with more glass. saw the sunset, so so so nice. wow. -McLean

Sunday, 29 April 7:19-8:32

Today was clear and had a nice sunset. I went on the memorial nature trail and the path had been cleaned up or all the detritus had rotted. It looked much better. Fiddle heads have taken over the woods. - Will

saturday, 28 april 3pm-5pm

today was pleasant. explored around the big corn field a bit. walked an the peramiters of the surrounding woods. saw 2 rabbits! seperately but near eachother. maybe mom and dad? pretty day, a little blustery. -mclean

sunday 29 april 12pm 3pm

got some good exercise througout the woods today. walked from the tennis courts to the farm, back towards the stream but veering right towards some cool art/faces on trees. birds are chirping today. nice long walk. -mclean

Mammals
I saw a really big cat!!!

Rabbits

Squirrels

Big dogs (many)

Amphibians
A fat frog. I almost stepped on him because he looked like a leaf and it was night.

Birds
Stellar jays

Robins

Barn owls

Great Horned Owl

Crows

Red tailed hawks