Trees of RCSP

Today we're going to look at some trees you might find at RCSP, with a catch: in keeping with our theme of exploring good places to put sustainable trails, this slideshow present trees that don't like water, and trees that do. Now, just because you see one of these trees does not mean the area is definitely dry or definitely wet - but it should cause you to stop and consider. Also, because of how long it takes trees to mature, you aren't likely to find a wetland tree in a new wetland, or a non-wetland tree in an area recently dry. Officially, there are three factors to determine a wetland; but, rather than make you sit through a four-day wetland identification course (I have), I give you these ten trees. When you see one, look around; if you were water, would you hang out there? Check out the soils map we explored earlier: are the soils predisposed to be wet? If both answers are yes, you may want to reconsider whether a trail should cut through there.

Enjoy!

Management at RCSP

Over the past few weeks, I've talked a lot about Raccoon Creek State Park and everything it has to offer. But natural areas, as anyone knows who's been to one, do not automatically come with hiking trails and campsites - someone has to manage those. And land like that has to be used: if it's not being used, it's typically up for sale either commercially or privately. So who takes care of RCSP? There's a simple answer, and a not-so-simple answer.

The simple answer is the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PADCNR). It's their trucks you see driving around the park; it's their rangers in the cool Smokey the Bear hats; it's their personnel, typically, if not conducting the programs at least in charge of them. Shane Miller, who I got to speak to a few weeks ago, takes groups on hikes, gives presentations on a variety of usually botanical-related topics, and monitors the plants and biodiversity of RCSP, including identifying and reporting invasive species (which is how I met him). Sometimes the rangers have to do Search-and-Rescue if a multi-day hiker or camper comes up missing.

But what the rangers at RCSP can't do is raise money directly for the park; any money they raise goes to the State Parks system, to be doled out based on the amount of visitors each park receives. So, if Raccoon wants more money for programs or land management, they have to get more people to visit the park.

Enter the not-so-simple answer: friendsofraccoon.org. Friends of Raccoon is a non-profit organization dedicated primarily to bringing those visitors to the park - they promote the park and the events the park holds, they have volunteer opportunities to benefit the park directly through trail maintenance, invasive species removal, and by donating to a specific cause: currently on their website they're highlighting their Playground Fund, to be used for new playground equipment at Raccoon, not just State Park playgrounds.

The primary burden of management of the park falls on the DCNR staff, and it is their responsibility primarily to get more visitors to the park in order to receive more funding to manage it - and they do that in part by offering more than 200 programs a year, whether they be for education, enjoyment of the outdoors, or even merit badges for Boy or Girl Scouts. Friends of Raccoon can help pick up the slack in biodiversity management, as well as promotion of the park.

So, who manages RCSP? Well, if you want to, you do! Visit their website (http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/raccooncreek/) and see what they have to offer individuals and groups, or call 724-899-3611 and learn how you can volunteer.

Invasive Species at RCSP

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to meet with Shane Miller, a ranger and biologist at Raccoon, and discuss invasive species in the park. While by no means exhaustive, the slideshow below gives a summary of some of the top threats within the plant community.

Web Soil Survey

This past week, I got to use the USDA's Web Soil Survey online tool (here) for the first time - and it was pretty incredible. With this tool, you're able to look at most of the U.S. soil data, which includes soil types and a whole host of attributes of those soil types. What you can do with this information - sometimes manually, sometimes automatically - is determine quality of soil for your attempted use.

To keep this post a little shorter, I first recommend watching this quick video on how to use WSS (there were a few others on YouTube, but this seemed like the easiest to sit through): here.

So, basically, the user creates an Area of Interest, and can then choose from a host of data to display. I chose to use one of the more automatic tools and look at soil suitability for trails (Soil Data Explorer > Suitabilities and Limitations Ratings > Recreational Development > Paths and Trails). This brings up a color-coded soil map. Now, viewing the description of the rating shows that their paradigm assumes that trails "should require little or no slope modification through cutting and filling." Filling, yes; cutting, not so much. (Actually, the most sustainable trails according to the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) are cut into a hillside in such a way that allows water to sheet-flow off the trail. Where trails run into the most difficulty shedding water is when they are at grade, because compaction will quickly move them below grade.) However, some of the other data used to give the rating (stoniness, depth to water table, etc.) are very useful and appropriate.

I also found my way fairly quickly around some other key points, such as depth to water table alone, and water storage capacity. In the latter, the user sets depth to evaluate (surface to about 4 inches is what I ran) and the data returns with capacity of the soil to hold water, which is based off organic composition and other factors. It does not indicate how much water the soil might actually hold, only how much it could hold.

Why look at all this? Because, as I focus for the moment on a person's ability to go out and view the biodiversity at Raccoon Creek State Park, trail conditions are critical - very few casual hikers care to get their shoes and feet muddy and wet, or risk slipping and falling on adverse trails. And, unfortunately, some of the trails I'm familiar with in the park are not in great shape. The park is working to correct these issues, but I'm curious to discover if I can use soil data to plan trail corridors in the future to avoid troublesome areas - or at least be aware that more work might be needed to build a sustainable trail than simple marking it out and packing it down.

My initial impressions are the Web Soil Survey tool will help tremendously.