Leaf Peepers Weekend -- The Friends of Blackwater are organizing a tree planting session for Sunday September 28th, 9am, starting at the Riverwalk canoe put-in (behind the old shopnsave) in Davis.
The purpose of the event is to promote the enhancement and use of public lands as part of the celebration of National Public Lands Day. This year the focus is on celebrating the 75th anniversary of the formation of the Civilian Conservation Corps. They have historically taken on reforestation projects in the Blackwater Area. Planting will start in the Davis Riverfront Park and will continue across the river, and all the way to the Gentle Trail overlooking Blackwater Falls (approx 1.5 miles).
The Riverfront Park team will advise on a couple of good locations for spruce plantations. It is exciting to consider that red spruce will once again grow where the initial town surveyor set about clear cutting "stump town." The Red or Black Spruce does not grow as fast as the non-native Norway Spruce, and is not as ornamental, but it is native and conveys its own inspiration. The Red Spruce is really the signature tree of the high Alleghenies. Amazingly, you could not even get Red Spruce saplings until a few years ago, so the planting of sapling plantations is a recent phenonenom. Unfortunately, I think this led many over the years to resort to planting Norways or pines simply because there was no source for natives.
They may also get some balsam firs for the planting effort. The fir is less prevalent in the Valley, and tends to be visible in wet understory areas such as on Canaan Mountain.
To get involved: Call Friends of Blackwater Canyon at 877-WVA-LAND (877-982-5263) or email outreach@saveblackwater.org
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