Riparian Planting for Flood Prevention and Wild/Human Foodways

We express our immense gratitude to Sam Puddicombe and the Friends of the Winooski River for designing, installing and maintaining this riparian buffer along SHO’s Brush Brook field. Additionally, Sam secured additional funding for a larger red oak planting as we afforest early successional fields into mast-producing trees that can feed humans and our wild kin potentially for centuries, in anticipation the warming climate here in Vermont’s maple-beech-birch-dominated forests.

Oaks outside of the riparian edge were grouped in anticipation of being fire-managed after 15 years, when the oaks have reached appropriate maturity.

It is our hope that this form of assisted succession will help seed the next-generation of forest capable of nourishing many. Thank you to all who make it happen.

Sam and Caleb

8 cages contain red oak and other shorter-lived shrubs.