CU-Mansfield students help plant Tioga County’s newest forest

Coal industry strip mining operations from decades ago have left large areas of Northern Tier land without the proper forest ecosystem. Through the work of Green Forests Work, a non-profit tree planting organization, Commonwealth University-Mansfield students are supporting an important forest reclamation project near the former Tioga County mining town of Morris Run.

Eric Oliver, a mined land reforestation specialist with Green Forests Work (GFW), is heading up the project, which seeks to plant nearly 180,000 trees of various native species over roughly 300 acres of mining land in the region. It’s part of the organization’s mission to restore healthy and productive forests throughout Appalachia. Since 2009, GFW has planted more than eight million trees over 15,000 acres.

Last fall, the land was prepared by deep tilling down 4 feet and removing invasive plants to prepare for the spring tree planting. Over two days, Mansfield students – along with several other local organizations and businesses – helped plant native deciduous trees and conifers across a designated parcel of land to create what will one day become a healthy forest. Due to the scope of the project, a contractor has planted trees on the land not planted by volunteers.

Approximately eight acres of the project will be converted from a cool-season grass and non-native shrub cover to a native, warm-season grass and pollinator field.

“The result will be a healthy restored forest to a condition close to what existed prior to the mining taking place,” Oliver explained. “Not only will the people visiting and animals inhabiting the forest benefit, but the restored forest benefits will extend far beyond the footprint of the project area.

“As the forest matures, it will provide many of the common ecosystem services that are attributed to healthy forests: habitat biodiversity, climate and temperature regulation, clean air, clean water, evapotranspiration and sediment and nutrient stabilization,” he added.

The project is mainly funded by Tioga County Conservation District through a grant from PA DEP Bureau of Clean Water Countywide Action Plan. Other additional and matching funds were secured from GFW, DCNR and Repsol.

“The partnership between DCNR, GFW and Mansfield will enable the forest to develop as well as provide educational opportunities for students and the public alike,” Oliver said.

Planting is the first step in the forest restoration process along with the involvement of Mansfield students from the geosciences and biology programs and the garden club. The fledgling forest requires ongoing monitoring over the next decade to ensure the trees are growing as intended.

Led by Dr. Jennifer Demchak, professor of environmental, geographical and geological sciences, Mansfield students will work closely with Green Forests Work to track the progress of Tioga County’s newest forest.

“Mansfield students will remain actively involved in the project through long-term monitoring efforts, including tracking soil carbon sequestration, assessing tree survival and growth, and evaluating water quality improvements,” Demchak said. “Additional opportunities include conducting bird and wildlife surveys to document habitat recovery and using GIS tools to map changes in vegetation over time.

“These hands-on research experiences will provide valuable data while giving students meaningful field-based learning opportunities,” she added.

Lily Kaplan, a dual major in biology and environmental science from Guys Mills, helped recruit Mansfield students for the two-day planting event.

“The tree planting was a very rewarding experience for me,” Kaplan said. “It was a fun event that made us feel like we were doing something important to help maintain the health of our planet.”

Converting barren land into a lively forest not only provides a better environment for local wildlife, the cascading benefits of the project will also improve local streams and rivers affected by decades of mining activity. Separate river restoration projects are underway in Tioga County to address acid mine runoff that has polluted tributaries of the Tioga River. A vibrant forest above mined land will also support the river clean-up effort by reducing the amount of rainwater that penetrates the open mines causing water pollution.

“This project is truly ecological restoration in action,” Oliver said. “Everything from reforestation, to invasive species control and native species reintroduction have taken place.”

To learn more about Green Forests Work, visit greenforestswork.org. Learn more about the Commonwealth University Department of Environmental, Geographical and Geological Sciences at commonwealthu.edu.