Supporting Stewardship Agriculture
Stroud Water Research Center celebrated the last day of measurable rain in September by planting trees in a fodder block at New Bolton Center with the help of Exelon volunteers. The volunteers braved the rain (and a few pesky yellow jackets) to plant about 220 silky dogwood and American hazelnuts. This installation is part of the Stroud Center’s larger restoration project with the Center for Stewardship Agriculture and Food Security at New Bolton Center.
A fodder block is a dense planting of trees and shrubs intended for grazing. Once these species are established, they will serve as an alternative food source to New Bolton Center’s dairy herd as they move through the rotational grazing system.
Performing Essential Maintenance
After our first rainy volunteer day, sunshine and glorious fall weather showed up for our next group from Wilmington Trust/M&T Bank, who helped perform essential fall maintenance on a tree planting installed in the spring of 2023. Volunteers helped to straighten tubes, remove weeds, and plant a few additional trees at this buffer along an unnamed tributary of Brandywine Creek in Birmingham Township.
A week later, another group of volunteers from Dansko and the greater community returned to New Bolton Center’s campus for another tree planting. For many of these repeat volunteers, the need to water the trees both during and after planting was a new experience. The dry fall has postponed many of our planting efforts. Previous plantings will be regularly watered until we get some rainfall.
Get Involved
We are grateful to the many volunteers who help us throughout the year! If you or your business want to learn about volunteer opportunities, please contact Jess at jprovinski@stroudcenter.org.
