Eastern Hemlocks offering some shade to Little Bradley Falls
HRI is celebrating another St. Patrick’s Day by hosting a Green River Green Love Hike on Wednesday, March 17 in the Green River Game Land at Big Bradley and Little Bradley Falls!
Since 2017, HRI has helped keep the Green River green by treating over 9,000 hemlock trees in the 14,331 acre game land managed by the NC Wildlife Resource Commission. Our route will take us in and out of hemlock stands treated by HRI last year and along Cove Creek, which feeds the Green River. We’ll have have views of spectacular waterfalls while standing in the shade of protected hemlock trees. These hemlocks along smaller creeks and in the upper reaches of watersheds play a huge role in keeping our major waterways clean and stable for aquatic life to live in.
On this hike we’ll have the opportunity to discuss multiple strategies for hemlock management. We will see several stands of hemlocks treated by HRI in the 2019-2020 field season and a hemlock monitoring plot that was established to monitor the health of hemlocks in the area and inform management decisions. We’ll also stop by some smaller hemlocks to monitor for biological control agents that have been released into the Green River Game Land to control the destruction of the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA). If we have time, we will stop at a research plot installed by the US Forest Service Southern Research Station to study silvicultural management techniques to control HWA.
We will be hiking to both Big Bradley and Little Bradley Falls for a total of 4 miles. The hike to Little Bradley Falls is mostly flat with limited climbing and a few creek crossings. The hike to Big Bradley Falls is shorter, but involves more climbing and a few creek crossings. Both hikes may showcase some spring wildflowers and some great waterfall views are guaranteed! The hike will start at 10:00 am and will be two out-and-back hikes with a lunch stop in the shade of some hemlocks at Little Bradley Falls.
RSVP required by March 15th to Ben Chase at volunteer@savehemlocksnc.org or call (828)-252-4783. Please include contact phone number and email address when you sign up.
The Hemlock Restoration Initiative is restarting our educational programs and volunteer events. Despite the lifting of restrictions, we acknowledge the risk that COVID-19 continues to pose to members of our community. To maintain the safety of our event participants and staff, HRI is limiting the number of participants at all events and requiring that all individuals follow HRI’s COVID-19 safety guidelines. This means that sign-ups will be held on a first-come-first-served basis. Anyone not following the guidelines on the day of the event will be asked to leave. Please review the COVID-19 safety guidelines to ensure that you are comfortable following these guidelines. Please also let us know as soon as possible if you are unable to attend an event for which you are registered so that we may allow someone else to fill your spot. Despite taking precautions, we cannot eliminate all risk of exposure and participants will be accepting some level of risk by choosing to attend.
Some of the wildlife seen at Big Bradley and Little Bradley Falls in April 2020