Another Student Comment

I'm posting a comment here from another URI student, Robert Swanson, who also is the president of the URI Wildlife Society.

"This is great! I think that the only thing that you could do is to continueto expand the message as you learn more! Continue to stress the fact that there really aren't any other forests like this in southern Rhode Island thatare accessible to students in this way that the North Woods is. Hundreds ifnot thousands of students have taken advantage of the North Woods throughout URI's history and think of the possibilities for the future if it is preserved. There is almost every type of successional habitat in the forest all the way from field to early to mid to late successional, we just don't have climax forest yet but if they don't cut it down we will. The North Woods is, like you said, one of the oldest forest specimens in our area and it is still largely intact and has almost no history of logging which is incredibly rare especially when you consider the fact that those trees in the oldest stand are of extremely high quality and would be worth quite a bit of money. You also might want to mention that the site they want to build on has a soil ordination number of 3 for growing timber. The soil ordination numbers go from 5 to 1, 1 being the best. Because our soils are so young (geologically speaking) the best ordination number found in RI is only a 3 and this is one of the best sites in the area! The highest ordination number in all of New England I think is only a 2 so a 3 is really good for around here! The trees on the site are of an extremely high quality and would make beautiful lumber but they make even better wildlife habitat and an outdoor classroom. I guess just continue to stress how rare the site is and how valuable it is for wildlife but also as a unique teaching opportunity (as you've mentioned). Also maybe mention all the student projects that have been carried out in the North Woods, I did one there myself this semester for Field Ornithology. Field Ornithology also used the North Woods for a field trip this semester too. Keep fighting the good fight! Hope this helps."