New Member

[KaraSnow]

Hi new friends-
I am a new member. My name is Kara G Snow and I am a graduate student at The University of Minnesota in Duluth- (although I live in the Minneapolis). I am an avian ecologist with a passion for birds (of course) and trees. I first became very interested in trees when I took a dendrology course in undergrad at UMN- Twin Cities.
My favorite tree species is the River Birch.
Has anyone ever visited the massive Eastern Cottonwood in Lac qui Parle State Park in MN? It is glorious!

[dbhguru]

Hi Kara,

Welcome aboard. We are especially glad to welcome new members with scientific backgrounds. BTW, Lee Frelich is a good friend of mine. I presume you know him.

I am unfamiliar with that cottonwood. Can you share pictures of it?

River birches are cool. They don't grow here in western Massachusetts, but do grow in central Mass. They are a popular landscaping tree throughout.

Best,
Bob

[KaraSnow]

Thanks Bob!
I am familiar with Lee. I've been organizing an annual conference for the local ornithologists club and Lee was a speaker for us in 2020!
I posted a picture of the Cottonwood on the MN forum. It looks like someone had posted about it nearly 10 years ago and you had commented.
Kara

[dbhguru]

Kara,

A number of us are extremely interested in an ornithological view of young, mature, and old forests in terms of bird species needs and preferences. It is a hot topic of debate and has driven lots of forest management strategies here in New England. There is always a clarion call by forest managers for more early succession habitat, and therefore cutting of mature (or at least closed canopy) forests. Environmental activists usually point out that there is plenty of disturbed habitat, e.g. fields and edges across the greater landscape. But the voices advocating for cutting mature forests seem to be implying that it takes interior areas within a forested region to satisfy those species.

Do you have any thoughts on this topic that you'd be willing to share? Thanks in advance.

Bob