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East Woods natural Area Boundary Marking, Trail Assessment, and Invasive Species Mapping
LANDS Program
LANDS Program
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Abstract
The 2013 Land Stewardship Program report for the East Woods Natural Area in South Burlington, Vermont, details a project aimed at improving the management and public perception of this 40-acre University of Vermont property. Although reduced from its original 90 acres by the construction of Interstate 189, the area remains a biologically diverse site containing Northern Hardwood forests and portions of the impaired Potash Brook. The LANDS intern team conducted three primary assessments focusing on property boundaries, trail conditions, and invasive species mapping to provide a current picture of the area's ecological health and management needs.
The boundary survey was initiated to address tensions with neighboring landowners and utility crews who had been cutting trees due to poorly defined limits. The team successfully blazed and signed trees to mark the property's extent, using a combination of historical survey maps and GPS data. They discovered that while some northern borders are fenced, others remain undefined, particularly near commercial parking lots and road buffers. A key recommendation is for managers to establish formal agreements with maintenance crews to prevent unauthorized tree cutting, which creates canopy gaps that encourage invasive plant growth.
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Date
2013