Time: 1:00 - 2:00 pm
Place: Nehantic State Forest, Lyme CT
Contact Email: openspace@townlyme.org
Join retired DEEP forester Emery Gluck for a short talk and walk off-trail on a 17-acre tract of Nehantic State Forest that has been repeatedly burned since 1993. CT DEEP is using controlled burn as a forest management tool. The goal of the burn is to promote an open park-like oak savanna, which was likely prevalent in the pre-settlement forest near Native American camps and villages. Native Americans burned frequently to promote grasses for their game animals, to increase berry production, to facilitate firewood and acorn collection, to reduce pests, for hunting, ease of travel, and many other reasons. The fires killed mostly thin-barked and smaller trees while promoting grasses, forbs, and large trees.
We will walk off-trail through the site. Wear long pants and sturdy shoes. Meet at the small lot on Keeny Rd. 1/4 mile in from Rte 156. Keeny Road is the main forest road. The entrance is on Route 156 (Hamburg Road) just south of Lyme Fire Company Station in Hamburg.
Registration required: openspace@townlyme.org
