Learn & Network

[A reprise of the 2023 Greenways and Trails Summit Session]

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary has committed in 2014 to aggressively work towards maintaining our forests for biodiversity, which includes invasive species containment and eradication, storm water management, and trail tread stabilization and improved tread siting.  We have moved gradually towards accomplishing these monumental goals through adaptive planning and implementation.  The focus of this presentation will be how we moved through planning stages and then what implementations on our 2500 acres have been successful and which have not.

As with any land management project proper planning is essential.  This entails knowing your landscape intimately, especially throughout the growing season.  Having a base knowledge of botany, with an emphasis of “what belongs” and “what doesn’t belong”.  Identifying invasive plant impact within our native forest communities and knowing how each species spreads allows us to prioritize our management efforts and what methods for control are best to apply and what time of year.  Often not one strategy or technique fits, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and the ability to adapt has offered our greatest results. A great deal of our land management concerns are linked to storm water.  With the continued increase of a changing climate and predictions of increased storm intensity storm water management becomes a critical issue for healthy forest sustainability.  We have made several improvements that enhance our native landscape with future plans for additional management structures.

The Stewardship Department has close to a decade of intensive field management and recognizes it has an ethical responsibility to share our successes with all land stewards to improve our natural world and preserve its biodiversity.

$25.00 (free for WeConservePA members)

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Reach out to [email protected] if you need your member code.

Presenters:

Todd Bauman | Director of Stewardship, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

Todd Bauman has been working in the field of conservation for the past 35 years as a result of a childhood dream.  He has earned an A.S. Degree in Wildlife Technology from Penn state DuBois and then received his B.S. in Environmental Science from East Stroudsburg University.  During the 35 years he worked as a seasonal ranger in Colorado and then in Baxter State Park in Maine.  This following of his childhood dream only took place after two earlier careers, one as a construction professional followed by 5 years in law enforcement.  His past 28 years have been in stewarding the lands of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, of which he continues to grow and learn the evolving challenges in landscape management.  Todd’s professional qualifications include holding licensing as a Pesticide Applicator and ISA Arborist, Wilderness First Responder certification, accomplished trail builder, expert in chainsaw operation, expert in wildland travel, and demonstrated expertise in traditional tool use.

Noah Rauch | Sanctuary Steward, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

Noah Rauch has been involved with Stewardship at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary since 2012, starting as a volunteer in the Hawk Mountain Conservation Corps service-learning program. It was through his time on the mountain as a teen that he realized his passion for wildlands conservation, remaining committed to the preservation and sanctity of the sanctuary through his high school and college career. Through over a decade of hands-on experience Noah has amassed a tremendous amount of knowledge of native and invasive flora and fauna within the northeastern landscape, best management practices in invasive species management, and has led multiple field crews in the remediation of sanctuary trails as well as in the restoration of impacted sanctuary forest. He holds certifications in commercial pesticide application, chainsaw operation, wilderness first response in relation to medical emergencies, and currently serves in his local municipalities Environmental Advisory Council as Vice Chair.

Stephen Wade | Sanctuary Steward, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

Stephen Wade has been involved in stewarding lands for the past 6 years.  He received a B.S. in secondary education but later recognized he is most passionate about working in the preservation of our natural world.  He earned his M.S. in Park and Resource Management from Slippery Rock University in 2017.  During this time, he spent a field season working with the Montana Conservation Corps and then following took a full-time position as a residential Sanctuary Steward at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary where he has been continuing to hone his skills in land stewardship.  Mr. Wade is a certified pesticide applicator, Wilderness EMT, and an accomplished trail builder.  He has also led Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in its comprehensive movement of wildlife friendly facilities with a focus on creating bird friendly facilities.  Steward Wade, with an excitement for teaching, leads the Stewardship Departments Seasonal Steward/Invasive Specialist Training curriculum.