Cut loose from the suffocating grip of invasive bittersweet vines, apple trees in a once thriving orchard at the Heald Tract will now grow unimpaired again.
Recent Happenings at the Heald Tract, Part 1 Habitat Management in an Overgrown Apple Orchard By Gabe Roxby
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he Heald Tract is one of the Forest Society’s most spectacular properties, and one where landscape-level habitat management is a central focus of our work. Spreading across four towns—Wilton, Temple, Greenville, and Mason—the Heald family’s donation of nearly 1,500 acres to the Forest Society between 1986 and 2016 was one of the most generous gifts of land in our history. Cellar holes and old barn foundations can be found scattered among the property’s tremendously diverse natural features, which include beaver dams, vernal pools, a great blue heron rookery, and a 65-acre pond. The property’s productive and diverse forests are periodically harvested in a responsible manner and yield a variety of wood products that are used for dimensional lumber, flooring, and paper. And an extensive trail network for hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing make Heald an ideal recreation location throughout the year. The 10 | FOREST NOTES Spring 2021
management of the myriad of natural, cultural, and recreational resources at Heald is not without its challenges, as invasive species are taking over in a couple locations, threatening the forest’s biodiversity and wildlife habitat. In recent years, the old apple orchards on the Heald Tract have become overgrown with a dense tangle of thorny shrubs, vines, and young trees. Other than the maintained hiking trails that wind through the orchards, this was no longer a pleasant place for people to walk. They were, however, functioning as wildlife habitat for nesting birds and small mammals seeking cover from predators. But there was a problem. The vegetation in this old orchard was being increasingly dominated by invasive species, with oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) the most concerning. Even worse, we were starting to observe this aggressive vine spreading to the rest of the property where it previously had
