On April 10-11, approximately 50 West Virginia University students will be traveling to Canaan Valley to plant red spruce seedlings in the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge.
The students include members from the WVU Sierra Student Coalition, WVU Society of Landscape Architects, WVU Geography Club, WVU Society of Environmental Professionals, WVU Geology Club and others.
“We really couldn’t do it without these volunteers,” said Ken Sturm, a biologist at the refuge. “The more people who jump on the bandwagon now, the more success we’ll have in the future gaining corporate support, grants and other resources needed to continue the work.”
This planting, part of the Central Appalachian Spruce Restoration Initiative, will be the sixth annual spring tree planting event that WVU students have been involved in. The initiative is a coalition of the U.S. Forest Service, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, The Nature Conservancy and others working to restore the red spruce ecosystem by connecting and expanding existing stands.
At one time, red spruce dominated the ecosystem of the West Virginia mountains. However, many years of logging and subsequent fires reduced the spruce population in West Virginia to a few scattered remnant stands.
“In a matter of 30 years or so,” Sturm said, “pretty much all of the virgin timber was gone.”
Many of these red spruce stands are found at high elevations on Cabin Mountain and contain some of the refuge’s most rare and unique species including the Cheat Mountain Salamander and Northern Flying Squirrel. The stands also provide shade for high-quality streams, which are home to native Brook Trout.
Anyone wishing to volunteer is welcome to meet at the refuge headquarters on Route 32 in Canaan Valley at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 10 and/or Sunday, April 11. For more information, or to join a car pool, contact Nate Askins at 724 561-6349 or nate.askins@mail.wvu.edu
-WVU-
na/03/31/10
CONTACT: Nate Askins, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy
724-561-6349, Nate.Askins@mail.wvu.edu