Environmental Studies students in Jon Rosales’ Once and Future Forest class began restoring some of the landscape at the ESL. A prescribed burn was done before planting on part of the four-acre reforestation site.

The next day, Arbor Day, over 300 trees were planted in 21 plots. The plots will be treated differently for deer browsing and monitored over several years to determine the most effective deterrent.

Students also worked on restoring Tracy Brook which runs through the ESL. Alder branches were trimmed from the surrounding area and planted in the eroding bank.

Students also dismantled an abandoned beaver dam to restore the flow of the stream.

All these efforts engage students in applied, field-oriented, community service, and project-based coursework. Students are taking what they learned here and applying it to areas close to where they live doing what they can to restore planet Earth.