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The Visitor
Wildlife Response to Oak Restoration
In early 2020, an unusual visitor showed up at Bald Hill Farm. Our stewardship staff noted that the visitor seemed to prefer one specific tree to hang around – a medium sized Oregon White Oak
on the edge of the Mulkey Ridge Forest, in an area where we had begun restoring oak woodland and savanna habitat four years earlier.
What previously had been a hillside thick with Douglas Fir crowding in between medium and large oak trees was now an open oak savanna with grasses and wildflowers under oak trees just beginning
to spread their canopies into the newly abundant light. The visitor was almost always sitting on one specific dead branch of that oak tree, calmly surveying the scene.
With a pink belly and dark green back,
Lewis’s
Woodpecker looks unlike all other woodpeckers, and in some ways acts unlike them too. It loves insects but prefers to catch them on the wing, rather than pounding them out of
wood. In flight, it kind of resembles a crow, flying slow and gliding between deep wingbeats. In colder seasons when insects aren’t flying, Lewis’s prefers to forage for fruit and acorns, which may explain its arrival at Bald Hill Farm where the species had
not been noted by us before.
Greenbelt began
restoring
the oak woodlands and savanna of Bald Hill Farm and Mulkey Ridge Forest in 2015, with a focus on removing Douglas Fir trees in and around large oak stands. One way that oaks respond
to more open conditions is to produce more acorns. We continued a second phase of this work in 2021 and 2022, ultimately restoring almost 300 acres.
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Shortly after the first phase of this project was complete, a different unique and colorful woodpecker began to move in to the habitat.
Acorn
Woodpeckers live in family groups and spend most of their time collecting and storing acorns in
“granaries”
– making rows of holes in dead branches and filling them with right-sized acorns. The Acorn Woodpecker colony at the Benton County Fairgrounds about 2 miles away could be the source
of the birds who quickly established a new territory in the restored oak areas of Mulkey Ridge Forest. Acorn Woodpeckers live in social groups whose primary purpose is raising the young and defending the acorn granaries.
Lewis’s Woodpeckers also store acorns in trees, but prefer to chop them up and stick them in cracks and crevices in the bark, and they also spend a good amount of energy defending these food
sources. Individuals in the northern parts of their range will sometimes explore south in the fall and winter, seeking out promising areas with abundant food.
In 2021, a lone visitor returned, often to the same branch in the same tree. In 2022, there were no sightings. But in 2023, the year of a very big acorn crop, Lewis’s Woodpeckers arrived in numbers
and stayed through the winter, with a flock of 20-30 foraging through the restored oak habitat.
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Although there weren’t any sightings in 2024, we have seen a few Lewis’s Woodpeckers this fall, along with another big acorn crop. Will the visitors stick around through the winter? Did the first
Lewis’s Woodpecker in 2020 bring back the others in 2023? How are these two woodpecker species that are both dependent on acorns interacting with each other?
Is this forest big enough for the two of ‘em?
We have questions! But, we also have answers. Restoring oak habitat has many goals for Greenbelt. Open oak habitats support greater biodiversity in the Willamette Valley. They have less fuel
than forests where conifers like Douglas Fir have invaded, and they are more resilient to wildfire. And when we restore healthy habitat conditions, wildlife responds.
Lewis’s and Acorn Woodpeckers are only two of
many
birds that rely on oak trees. Oaks in the northern hemisphere host more caterpillars and other insects than any other tree. Those caterpillars, grubs, and larvae are the main
food source for almost all of our local birds and their young during breeding and nesting season.
Want to learn more about how these unique woodpeckers are using the restored oak habitat, and possibly get a look at them in action? Join us for a
Woodpecker
Walk at Bald Hill Farm on November 8th - click below to register!
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National Estate Planning Awareness Week
There is a week for everything, but
any
week is a good week to plan your legacy. Whatever your stage in life, planned giving to an organization you support is an easy way to benefit you and your loved ones while leaving
a legacy of action and impact. Some planned gifts have an impact now, some after your lifetime. Many offer tax savings, and some even provide you with income for life.
One of the simplest ways to make an important gift to preserve and protect nature is through your will. We encourage you to consult with your legal or financial advisors prior to making a planned
gift.
Bequests
to Greenbelt Land Trust are free from federal estate tax, and can offer substantial estate tax savings. There is no limit to the amount you can leave to Greenbelt Land Trust or
to other charitable organizations in your will. When you notify us that Greenbelt has been listed in your estate plans, you become a member of our
Heritage
Circle. As a member, you will receive invitations to exclusive gatherings and outings.
Have questions about ways to support Greenbelt through planned giving? Get in touch with our Development Officer David Gant.
da...@greenbeltlandtrust.org
Cell: 704.517.2033
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The Confluence Open House
December 11th, 4-6 pm
The
Confluence is the future home of local conservation and community nonprofits in downtown Corvallis. This amazing structure is built to Living
Building Challenge standards, including local reclaimed and urban-salvage wood, with screw and bolt connections that enable deconstruction and remodeling without sacrificing the re-usability
of the materials.
We welcome you to drop by and check it out at the annual Confluence Open House. Meet the partner organizations and future tenants, see the progress on the ultra-sustainable building, and enjoy some
refreshments as we reflect on 2025 and look ahead to the new year!
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