Black-Eyed Susan along the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail

Black-Eyed Susan along the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail

Monday, July 2, 2018

Midsummer Progress Report

So what have I been up to this summer?

I've been working on creating a management plan to help improve the quality of the nature bordering the trail. This entails sitting on my computer for hours creating maps of the different regions along the trail that have the best chance of not being overrun by invasive species (specifically -1, 4.5, 8.5 and 12.5). Here is a draft of my map of the region along mile marker 12.5:


It's definitely a rough first draft, but the purpose of it is to show where different invasive species exist within Pumpkinvine trail property so that the parks departments and volunteers know where to focus their energy for removal in the coming years.

In the next week or two I hope to finalize the first draft of my management plan, and then get out along the trail and start implementing it. This will hopefully give me a chance to figure out what elements I may need to add or alter in future drafts.

If you're interested in helping out with species removal this summer, looking for a volunteer opportunity for a group either now or in the future, please feel free to reach out to us in the comments (or email itorres19@amherst.edu) as we'd love to get you involved -- the more the merrier!

Questions? Comments? Ideas? I'd love to hear from people who are interested in improving the quality of natural areas and/or have areas along the trail that are near and dear to their hearts!

-Isabela Torres