Guest Post by Susan Benedict, PA landowner, 2012 WaTW graduate
The most useful piece of advice came from my father. It was his dying wish that I agree to walk the entire 2087 acres of our property. I asked him why this was so important and he said, "I want you to know what you have." This has proven to be a real blessing. I have come to know our property and its features. It has helped me to be an active participant in our forest management instead of relying solely on the expertise of others.
My AHA moment came this summer during our Tree Farm of the Year tour in August. As part of our CSP pollinator enhancement I have been documenting our naturally occurring pollinator habitat. We have a surprising amount of it. During a presentation by Calvin Ernst of Ernst Seeds, Mr. Ernst mentioned that where there are healthy colonies of pollinators natural forest regeneration is enhanced. I had been trying to figure out why we have such amazing regeneration - it is the pollinators! I am even more committed to preservation of pollinator habitat than I was before.