Diary of a Restoration

19th Installment, March 25, 2006

Watching nature stage a dramatic comeback, when given the opportunity, is a most gratifying experience. Where invasive, non-native shrubs once stood, a carpet of oak seedlings now grows. Birds, reptiles, amphibians, inscts and plants are all reclaiming their old turf.

Just recently, we have watched pileated woodpeckers on our property and have seen their handicraft in the form of excavated cavaties in dying trees. Where the woodpeckers find food today, other birds and wildlife will find sanctuary and raise families in the future.

A red-shouldered hawk hunts from its perch in the valley.

Around Christmas, a red-shouldered hawk - recently removed from the state's list of threatened species - hunted from a perch on our property. We know they are nesting somewhere in the neighborhood, since we see them regularly and hear their calls.

Last summer, starry campion, a savanna species, bloomed in a patch of woods burned the previous spring.

Nature will find a way - if we just give it a chance.

*Note: Our restoration project started in earnest in Sept. 2002. Check out our other diary entries for more details.