Haddington Woods Restoration
The PPR Urban Forestry & Ecosystem Management (UFEM) team is completing the restoration of the 23-acre Haddington Woods site, a valuable component of our Cobbs Creek watershed park. This site had been long neglected and was badly in need of attention as it included impenetrable expanses of degraded forest, a sea of invasives overrun with vines, illegal encampments, and mountains of trash. During winter 2014/2015, the degraded forest was cleared of invasives and trash was removed. Tree trunks were left onsite to provide wildlife habitat, and tops were fly-chipped to maintain organic matter onsite. Immediately following the clearing effort, the site was seeded with a variety of warm and cool season grasses to stabilize soil, and deer fencing was installed to prevent future browse and buck rub. In October, approximately 5,000 trees and shrubs were planted as needed to restore the lost forest canopy and increase plant diversity.
The Haddington Woods site has also been the focus of a community outreach effort in order to include citizens and local scientists in the restoration project design, as well as post-project monitoring and maintenance. As a result of these outreach efforts, two experiments, termed “southern species” and “planting density” have been included in the project. The southern species experiment includes 10 species that typically grow in warmer climes, south of Philadelphia. The prospect of climate change initiated this experiment since it may help inform future planting recommendations. The density experiment has been designed to help us understand the ideal planting density that will maximize growth and minimize competition, which should improve planting efficiency. The experimental plots include randomization, replicates, and controls so that statistically relevant data may be collected. UFEM staff and local citizens are excited to follow the progress, growth and restoration within this magnificent park.
