In this issue ...
At a remote section of Highlands Hammock State Park on June 7, 2014, Ridge Rangers Chan Clarkson, Elysia Dytrych, Liane Plumhoff, and Rodney Jamison successfully completed Chainsaw Operator training! This course consisted of self-paced online instruction and then field training by Brian Pinson of Florida State Parks, and included each person cutting down several unwanted trees with a chainsaw. Ridge Rangers Jerry Fortner, Orrin Schaal, and Shawn Haggerty also participated in the course as a refresher, and by the end of the training several acres of scrub jay habitat had been cleared of intruding sand pines while following strict safety procedures.
All the participants would also tell you that they had more than enough practice disassembling and reassembling their chainsaws!
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FL State Park’s Brian Pinson explains tree felling procedures to the course participants during field training. |
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A special note of appreciation goes to Instructor Brian Pinson for his extra effort in making this course happen, and congratulations to all the graduates!
The scrub oak acorns gathered last September by Ridge Rangers and potted by community festival attendees in November have resulted in over 4,300 sprouts! These baby oaks were maintained by Ridge Rangers in a native plant nursery over the winter and spring, and are now ready for planting to restore a damaged oak-scrub habitat at the FWC Royce Unit near Lake Placid, Florida.
We’re looking for planting help on Saturday, July 19 and on the following Saturday, July 26 . The planting will be easy and you’ll be helping to restore scrub jay habitat!
All plantings are from 8 AM to around noon (unless otherwise stated) and are at the FWC Royce Unit, near Lake Placid, FL.
Project Acorn is a multiyear effort by the Ridge Rangers to gather and pot scrub-oak acorns, maintain the sprouts, and plant the resulting baby oaks in damaged scrub oak habitat on the Lake Wales Ridge. See pictures and learn more on the project website.
Ridge Rangers have been patient for many months as new landlines for the FWC Royce Office (where the Ridge Ranger Coordinator is located) were being installed. This construction project was completed in June and phones and voice mail are now working! Please contact the coordinator as needed at 863.699.3742 or at bill.parken@myfwc.com. |