Recreation...

SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FORESTERS TRAIL

This trail begins at the far end of the Brugh Tavern parking lot. This is an easy hike of .65 miles with two moderate inclines. Follow the green Christmas trees stenciled on trees on the trail, as well as the 8 markers.

You will end your hike at the parking lot next to the Brugh Tavern. 

STOP 1: The American Chestnut Demonstration Plot contains 10 trees representing the efforts by the American Chestnut Foundation to keep the once dominant chestnut from becoming extinct and eventually to become abundant once again. Prior to being attacked by a blight brought to the US from Asia in 1902, the American chestnut was useful because of its strong and durable wood, its rich nuts, and its bark extractants. In the Roanoke Valley, people still remember collecting chestnuts by shaking the limbs, climbing the trees, or shooting a shotgun up into the branches.  They recall how, as children, they prized the first nuts boiled or baked over the open fire, how quickly pigs grew fat off the nut's oil, and that chestnuts sold on the market meant food on the table in the late fall. Even after the blight destroyed the living tree, area residents remember stripping off the loose bark and taking it to local tanneries for use during World War II.

Today, the very young saplings, sprouting from old stumps, offer hope for the future. Though all chestnuts get the blight, a very small number appear to resist the attack long enough to produce nuts.  Crossbreeding American trees with blight-resistant Asian relatives is being pursued at the American Chestnut Foundations' research farm in Meadowview, near Abingdon. 

STOP 2: This quarter-acre clearing was created in February of 1994 to demonstrate how forests naturally renew themselves. The trees harvested here were oaks, hickory, blackgum, red maple, sourwood, and yellow poplar, averaging 60 years of age. These trees provided wood for lumber, fence posts, furniture, firewood and building materials.  No trees have been replanted here, yet new trees are regenerating naturally. A new forest will replace the old by means of tree seeds that germinate, seedlings already present, and stumps that sprout.  Similar openings often are created by nature through insect and disease attacks, wind and ice storms, and fire. 

STOP 3: The trees in this area were subjected to severe winds in June of 1993 and were uprooted. Notice the spreading root system of the scarlet oak and the exposed forest soil. The red color seen here is due to the high iron content of the soil and the resulting oxidation when exposed to moisture.

Forest soils in this area do not have well developed topsoil, but the dark color seen here is from organic material formed from the decomposition of plant material. 

STOP 4: In front of this stop is a den tree. Important to wildlife, these trees have no commercial use and are left to provide cover for raccoons, birds, opossums, squirrels and many other animals.  In this area piliated woodpeckers also literally splinter the wood in their search for insects. 

STOP 5: The trees here began growing in 1970 when the last generation of trees was harvested.  The trail you have walked on to this point was the logging road that was used for access by loggers.  Evidence of saw mills, a lumber yard, and other logging activity can be found throughout Explore Park. In 1970 this area looked like the clearing at Stop 2. Again, no trees were planted, but they were naturally regenerated. They are just beginning to produce acorns and nuts. The dense vegetation provides cover for wildlife. Over time the stronger trees will surpass nearby trees and then, because they are in the shade, the smaller ones will die. 

STOP 6: Streams are an integral part of the forest. They originate uphill from a "seep" or spring. Several small streams meet to form larger streams, which in turn flow into the Roanoke River. The land that contributes water to this system of drainage is called a watershed.   Evaporation of water from the stream adds moisture to the air. This moisture and the corresponding cooler temperatures create mini-ecosystems. Notice the grasses, witch-hazel, ferns and alders.  These species all prefer the moist habitat and would not do as well along the dry upper ridges. Small streams are not permanent. Heavy rains swell the stream, and fast moving water carries away sand, silt and clay. Trees and other plants, despite strong roots, cannot hold the soil forever in place. They too fall prey to the ever-changing stream. 

STOP 7: This field was made by human activity and represents the type of field the Native Americans created by burning forests to open the area and to attract wildlife. European settlers later created similar areas by girdling and felling so that they could have places for livestock pastures and row crops. In time some fields were left to return to their natural state as settlers moved further west.  These fields provided excellent food and cover for wildlife. Over time, the field was reclaimed by the forest. 

STOP 8:  This is a stand of shortleaf pine.  With 3 to 5 inch long needles in clusters of 2, this species is common in pure or mixed stands on dry upland soils that are neither highly acid nor alkaline.  They need direct sun to grow. This area was probably an open field that was abandoned around the time of the Depression.  These pines were able to take advantage of the sunlight and occupy the opening.