Volcan Mountain Foundation

Once again the Volcan Mountain Foundation is the grateful recipient of a day of service from an AmeriCorps team that's currently working and staying at Camp Stevens. VMF has been very fortunate to partner with AmeriCorps on several occasions over the years starting with teams that were instrumental in helping to build the Sky Island Trail on the upper property of VMF's Volcan Mountain Nature Center.

At the start of Thanksgiving Week, the visiting AmeriCorps team volunteered under the leadership of VMF board member and Conservation Management Chair, Sharyl Massey to work on headwaters protection and forest restoration projects.

The crew planted 27 oaks as part of ongoing efforts to address the long-term devastating effects of oak loss from the invasive Gold-Spotted Oak Borer Beetle. The oak seedlings were nurtured in VMF's Native Plant Nursery from acorns collected as part of student stewardship-learning opportunities.

A large stand of the invasive Chinese Tree of Heaven was also cut back on the south portion of VMF's Volcan Mountain Nature Center. The Chinese Tree of Heaven is a very thirsty plant that also negatively affects our oaks by diverting precious water resources from the native plants and trees that provide critical habitat for Volcan Mountain's diverse animal community.

Thank you Team AmeriCorps for helping conservation on Volcan Mountain and to Sharyl Massey for the photos!