Design With Nature: How to Create an Old Growth Forest. Chuck Pettis Earth Sanctuary

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1 Design With Nature: How to Create an Old Growth Forest Chuck Pettis Earth Sanctuary 1385 Raden Pl. Freeland, WA (360) Earth Sanctuary I LLC

2 The Problem As many as 137 species disappear from the Earth each day. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have increased nearly 30%. The 20 th century's 10 warmest years all occurred within the last 15 years. Sept. 8, A NASA spectrometer has detected an Antarctic ozone "hole" that is three times larger than the entire land mass of the United States - the largest such area ever observed. For every 100 pounds of product we manufacture in the United States, we create at least 3,200 pounds of waste. Practical solutions to saving the environment for future generations are urgently needed.

3 How You Can Contribute to the Solution Take personal responsibility to enhance biodiversity and create a sustainable society. Use practical methodologies for ecological design, land use development, and sustainability. Create inspiring & unique environments for personal renewal and eco-education

4 Goals Use an exemplary & comprehensive ecological design process Create a nature preserve with maximum wildlife diversity & population Restore land to mature oldgrowth forest with minimum impact to the environment Benefit your community: economically & ecologically Protect wetlands The Fen, a spring-fed peatland

5 Why a 500 Year Plan? Acknowledgement that ecological communities will take hundreds of years to recover from past land use practices before they develop into their fullest expression as a diverse and mature ecosystem. The expression 500-year plan acknowledges the human commitment necessary to preserve, protect, and restore the landscape over the long term. This commitment is being accomplished through the development of land conservation covenants and the design and implementation of the phased landscape and restoration plan.

6 The Earth Sanctuary Ecological Development Process Goal: Create an ecosystem-based approach for ecological design and development, i.e., let the land speak to us and tell us where to build. Truly, Design with Nature. Develop the tools to monitor not only the environmental activities but also the legacy. Methodology: 1. Conduct baseline ecosystem surveys of existing conditions, including wetlands, streams, vegetation, fish and wildlife,and the environmental regulatory landscape (e.g., critical area regulatory buffers). 2. Conduct a reference ecosystem survey to serve as the basis for ecological restoration design and landscaping. 3. Develop a Geographic Information System (GIS) for design visualization, data management, and environmental education. 4. Develop the ecological restoration design based on the baseline ecosystem survey and reference ecosystems survey. 5. Design of site facilities, roads, paths, etc.

7 GPS Survey and Arcview GIS Differential GPS science in the field Criterion 400 hand held laser Arcview Geographic Information System USGS Digital Elevation Model (DEM)

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10 Environmental Regulatory Landscape Designated as a habitat of local importance by the Whidbey Audubon Society and Island County Critical Areas program. Jurisdictional delineation of waters (streams and ponds) and wetlands Identify critical animal habitats The Middle Pond

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12 Vegetation Survey Vegetation composition and structure Sampling design Peatland / Bog complex

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14 Earth Sanctuary Forest Stand Types Red alder Over story dominated by Red alder. Shrub layer composed primarily of salmonberry and elderberry. Herbaceous layer dominated by sword fern, stinging nettle and trailing blackberry. Douglas-fir/Western hemlock Stand dominated by Douglas fir and Western hemlock. Small component of western red cedar. Under story vegetation of huckleberry, stinging nettle and sword fern. Douglas-fir/Western hemlock/red alder Western hemlock/ Douglas-fir/Red alder Similar to Red Alder Stand with the addition of some mature Douglas fir and young, under story Western hemlock. Small component of western red cedar. Few huckleberries and sparse stinging nettle. Much sword fern. Stand nearly exclusively dominated by young Western hemlock. Very small component of Douglas fir and western red cedar. Shrub layer composed mostly of sword fern and huckleberry. Old-growth Reference The U-Grove at South Whidbey State Park Mature Douglas-fir/Western Hemlock Stand. Many canopy layers including legacy Douglas-firs and mid-story hemlock. Abundant snags and downed logs of large diameter. Under story of sword fern, huckleberry, Oregon grape and twinflower.

15 Old Growth Old growth forest High degree of complexity in canopy levels, age classes and tree dimensions

16 Logs in Old Growth Stand Nurse log providing substrate, moisture, and nutrients to a young generation of western hemlock as well as mosses, lichens and fungi. Animals may use log as lookout, travel corridor or refuge.

17 Old Growth versus Earth Sanctuary: Complexity of Forest Types

18 Old Growth versus Earth Sanctuary: Mean Snag Volume

19 Old Growth versus Earth Sanctuary: Snag Volume Per Hectare

20 Sensitive Ecological Restoration Ecological goal: To provide habitat for all creatures of South Whidbey Island by restoring the integrity, beauty, and diversity of the old growth forest, wetlands, streams and aquatic ecosystems. Maximize diversity and population of all animal and bird species. Combine art, ecological restoration, and spirit.

21 Earth Sanctuary Riparian Vegetation Restoration Goal of the riparian vegetation restoration design: reestablish diverse native plant communities and vegetation developmental processes in degraded aquatic-riparian zones around the West Pond, Central Pond, and Fen. Primary objectives: Himalayan blackberry removal is accomplished by first cutting all above ground stems, On-going maintenance program where all new stem growth is cut until blackberry dies out. On-going blackberry removal efforts are expected to take 3+ years. Revegetate theses areas with native wetland and riparian plants. Restore natural aquatic-riparian vegetation diversity, structure, and ecological functions. Annual monitoring report will document blackberry removal efforts and survivorship of new nonnative invasive plants.

22 Earth Sanctuary Forest Restoration Goal of the forest restoration design: Restore natural forest composition, structure and ecological functions where historic logging practices have diminished forest plant diversity Forest restoration efforts are focused in those forest stands with over story red alder and under story salmonberry dominance. The primary objective of the red alder forest restoration is to increase conifer and shrub diversity. The restoration design includes the following methods: Thinning of red alder forest canopy around existing under story conifers to accelerate conifer growth. Cutting of select red alder to create foot canopy gaps. Removal of under story salmonberry above ground stems and below ground rhizomes in 10 ft. diameter planting plots. Under planting conifers and shrubs in canopy gaps. On-going weed removal to assure planting survival. On-going maintenance program for 3-5 years Annual monitoring of survivorship and nonnative invasive plants.

23 Earth Sanctuary Ecological Design Phases Initial Design Phase years Land use history investigations Wetlands, streams & ponds mapping the regulatory landscape Vegetation, wildlife and fish surveys Landscape and restoration design Project regulatory permitting Near-Term Phase years Plant native plants and conifers Remove invasive plants (e.g., Himalayan blackberry, Ivy, English Holly) removal and forest and riparian restoration plantings Installation of bird nesting boxes On-going monitoring and maintenance of restoration and landscape plantings

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25 A Place for Personal Renewal and Spiritual Growth A beautiful natural place to focus on personal growth through meditation and retreat. Meditate, enjoy nature, walk

26 A Place Where Nature is the Top Priority See, feel, smell, touch & hear nature. 72 acres of green foliage and the reflective water of three ponds. In the center of the largest pond is a peat-land or fen that dates from the retreat of the glaciers. Trails for walking, hiking & viewing nature. An abundance of birds. Wildlife sanctuary.

27 Inspiring, Carefully Placed, Environmental Artworks & Sculptures Sundial Labyrinth Cairn stacked rocks Spheres made of vines Vines woven around trees

28 Earth Sanctuary Salal Hedge Labyrinth

29 Earth Sanctuary Fen Stone Circle

30 Earth Sanctuary Cottonwood Stone Circle

31 Earth Sanctuary Dolmen Vi Hilbert, a revered Upper Skagit/Salish Grandmother, teacher, and keeper of Native American wisdom, offered words of gratitude to the spirits of the megalithic stones of Earth Sanctuary s dolmen. Thanking them for their strength and serenity, she added You will be here long after we have been gone. You will be here to do work for generation after generation.

32 Thank You! Questions? Chuck Pettis