Category Archives: Schenley Park

Schenley Oak Wilt Status

Schenley Park, Trees

Schenley Park clearcut to stop oak wilt (photo by Kate St. John)

The scene is ugly but it’s therapeutic.

These trees at Prospect Drive in Schenley Park were removed because they were infected with oak wilt.  The eradication project was scheduled for February but didn’t get rolling until early April.

Last Friday it was partly complete.  The oaks were gone but their stumps remained.  These stumps will be removed, too, so the disease cannot spread.

Clearcut to remove oak wiltat Prospect Circle, Schenley Park, 18 April 2014 (photo by Kate St. John)

How old were the oaks?  The rings on one of them tallied 87 years.

It takes more than a lifetime to grow a tree and less than a day to chop it down.  Alas, these oaks would still be here if they had not become victims of highly infectious oak wilt fungus.

When the ground is ready and the time of year is right volunteers and the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy will plant new trees.

 

(photos by Kate St. John)

UPDATE 2 June 2014: Click here for the most recent update.

Maples, Midges And Mammals

Deer, Phenology, Schenley Park

Icy trail in Schenley Park, 22 Feb 2014 (photo by Kate St. John)

Spring is coming, slowly but surely.  Last weekend I took a walk in Schenley Park to see what was up.

On Saturday morning the snow was gone from the sidewalks and woods but Schenley’s gravel trails were sheets of ice.  I wore my ice cleats so I was able enjoy the sights without having to focus on my feet.  Three signs of spring attracted my attention: maples, midges and mammals.

The red maple branches look thick now because their buds are swelling …
Red maple buds, swollen in spring (photo by Kate St. John)

… and the sap is running.  I found a big hackberry whose sap was running so fast that it poured out of a limb wound and ran down the trunk in a rippling stream.  Warm days and cold nights are maple sugaring time.

Small, brown flying insects caught my eye.  Like the “flies” fisherman use to lure trout to the hook they’re impossible to identify and photograph, so I call them midges.  Their hatch in February won’t be eaten by warblers.

The mammals were active too, especially Schenley’s growing herd of the deer.   Hidden in plain sight I saw four deer browsing on saplings they hadn’t been able to reach under snow cover.  I whistled to attract their attention and three perked up their ears.

Deer in Schenley park, 222 Feb 2014 (photo by Kate St. John)

 

As usual I’m always surprised when my “Warm Day” February photographs look so brown.  The woods aren’t green yet but that’s just as well.  By mid-week the lows will be 8-10oF.

Maples, midges and mammals will wait a little longer for spring.

 

(photos by Kate St. John)

Schenley’s Oak Wilt Trees Are Coming Down

Schenley Park, Trees

Oak stump upended to prevent the spread of oak wilt (Joseph O'Brien, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org)

Don’t be surprised when you see trees being felled this month at Prospect Drive in Schenley Park.  An acre of diseased trees must be clear-cut to protect the park’s healthy oaks.

Councilman Corey O’Connor held an informational meeting last night where we learned about the project from City Forester Lisa Ceoffe and Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s Erin Copeland.  They described oak wilt, its treatment, and the affected area in Schenley Park which I’ve drawn on the tiny map below.  Click on the map for a better view in Google.

Location of the Oak Wilt zone in Schenley Park, February 2014 (screenshot of shared Google map)

Here are some of the 55-60 trees that will come down, marked with blue logging paint last summer. Many of them are 100 years old.
Oak wilt trees marked for removal from Schenley Pak (photo by Kate St. John)

Why is the area so large and why must it be clear cut?

Oak wilt is caused by a fungus that doesn’t spread easily but can kill a tree in 30 days.  The fungus travels in the oak’s vascular system and when the tree detects it it blocks those vessels — the arboreal equivalent of a stroke.  Watch the 13 minute video here to see how this happens.  You know the oaks are sick when you see browning leaves in mid-summer.  This is the only sign.

Oak leaves showing oak wilt (Joseph O'Brien, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org)

The infection travels through an entire stand because the oaks are joined underground.  When their roots touch, they graft to share nutrients and, sadly, disease.  We only see the symptoms in summer so a large area can become infected before anyone notices.

Oak root graft (photo by Ronald F. Billings, Texas Forest Service, Bugwood.org)

 

Once the fungus has taken hold, an infected tree is doomed.  The only way to save nearby healthy trees is to trench the perimeter of the infection(*) and remove all the trees inside the circle.  Sap beetles can carry the infection so the logging must be done in winter when the sap isn’t running.  (Note!  Don’t prune your oaks in spring and summer.  This opens them to oak wilt.)

When the logging begins in about 10 days, Prospect Drive will be closed each morning when the equipment arrives and reopened when Davey Tree is done for the day.  Signs will be posted explaining what’s going on and Davey Tree will have brochures for those who want to know more.  The site is easily visible from the Boulevard so the City expects a lot of questions.  Now that you know what’s going on, spread the word.

By the end of February the area will be empty, but not for long.  Site restoration begins March 22 with a tree planting conducted by the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy.  Who’s going to plant the trees?  Volunteers!

Schenley Park needs you on Sunday March 22, 10:00am to 2:00pm, rain or shine.  Click here or call 412-682-7275 to learn more about signing up.

 

(photos from Bugwood.org by Joseph O’Brien, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org and Ronald F. Billings, Texas Forest Service. Screenshot of shared Google map. Click on the map to see details on Google.)

(* Trenching prevents healthy roots from growing into the infected zone.)

UPDATE 2 June 2014: Click here for the most recent update.

Schenley Park Oak Wilt Meeting, Feb 3

Books & Events, Schenley Park, Trees

Back in July I mentioned that there’s oak wilt in Schenley Park.  In the weeks ahead those trees will come down.
Councilman Corey O’Connor is holding an informational meeting about the project on Monday February 3, 6:00pm – 7:30pm at the Jewish Community Center, Levinson Hall B.  (The main entrance is at 5738 Forbes Avenue in Squirrel Hill.)

See Councilman O’Connor’s flyer below for more information.

Schenley Park Oak Wilt meeting, 3 Feb 2014, 6:00pm

Late November Signs Of Life

Schenley Park, Trees, Winter Weeds & Trees

Witch hazel blooming in Schenley Park, 28 Nov 2013 (photo by Kate St. John)

Though it’s been cold and snowy I found signs of life in Schenley Park on Thanksgiving Day.

Above, witch hazel is blooming along the Lower Trail.  The yellow flowers don’t stand out but once you notice them you’ll see several trees sporting lemon-peel petals.

Below, bush honeysuckle stands out green against the snow.  This out of synch condition reminds us that this plant is from another country.

nvasive plant out of sync with our seasons (photo by Kate St. John)

When you see green deciduous plants in the snow, check them out.  They’re often imports.

 

(photos by Kate St. John)

Snow?

Schenley Park, Weather & Sky

First snow in Schenley Park, 12 Nov 2013 (photo by Kate St. John)

As of this writing we know that very cold weather is on its way (18o Sunday night!) but the question of snowfall is still up in the air.  How much will actually stick?

On November 12 the first snow of the season was quite beautiful in Schenley Park.

By now all the leaves have fallen.  Even with snow, this scene would look different if photographed today.

 

(photo by Kate St. John)

 

More Males Than Females

Bird Behavior, Schenley Park, Songbirds

Summer tanagers, male and female (photos from Wikimedia Commons)

Here’s an amazing fact: Among birds, and especially among declining species, there are more males than females.

It’s always easier to find male birds during breeding bird surveys.  They’re clothed in conspicuous colors and put on a big show, singing and displaying to claim territory and find a mate.  Females are hard to see, cryptically colored, sing less (if at all), and are secretive around the nest.  Unfortunately it’s not just flashiness that makes males easier to count.  The males are saying “Notice me!” because there aren’t enough females to go around.

In 2007, after reviewing hundreds of scientific papers, ornithologist Dr. Paul Donald concluded that in the vast majority of bird species males outnumber females. This means we can’t extrapolate the size of a breeding population based on the number of males we count.

Why does this happen?  Dr. Donald explained, “It’s not that females are producing more sons than daughters, because at hatching the sex ratio is generally equal. The only possible explanation is that females do not live as long as males. As generations grow older, they become increasingly dominated by males as more females die off.”

Dr. Donald also found that the skewed sex ratio is even worse among endangered birds and at its worst among the rarest species.  He hypothesized this is due to predation of females while on the nest — the double whammy of killing current and future generations at the same time.

Summer tanagers gave me personal experience with this sex ratio phenomenon.

The City of Pittsburgh is outside the summer tanagers’ range so it was quite rare that I found a pair of summer tanagers breeding in Schenley Park in 2011.   I noticed them just after their nest failed (due to a predator) because the male was impossible to ignore.  He was so angry he was shouting at everyone.

He and his lady tried for a second nest but it was too late in the season and they dispersed without success.  The next spring he was back again and easy to see.  He called and displayed, sang and sang, but she never showed up.  He was alone and that made it much easier for everyone to find him.  In 2012 he never had a mate.

This year he didn’t show up at all.   I assume both he and his lady have died.

Fortunately summer tanagers have a very wide range and their population is doing well — they are listed as “Least Concern” —  but they illustrated Dr. Donald’s finding:  Among most bird species there are more males than females.

(photos of summer tanagers (male on left, female on right) from Wikimedia Commons)

Wild Hickory Nuts

Schenley Park, Trees, Winter Weeds & Trees
Shagbark hickory fruits (with husk) and nuts, Oct 2011 (photo by Kate St. John)

27 October 2013

Here’s something I literally stumbled on in Schenley Park:  shagbark hickory nuts (Carya ovata).

The big round balls, which cradle easily in the palm of my hand, are husk-covered nuts.  They’re green when ripe but turn brown with age (bottom right).  Their four sections naturally come open as the nut ages and sometimes burst when they hit the ground.

I didn’t need any special tools to open the husks, just my fingers.  At first I didn’t realize they were merely husks so I thought it was odd that they didn’t protect the nut but…

The nutshell is another story (center of the photo).  Irregularly shaped and slightly larger than a quarter, I tried to open it by cutting and other gentle means but it was impossible.  The meat inside is reputed to be sweet but I had to destroy the nut to taste it.

Hmmm.  Get out a hammer or hire a squirrel.

I got out the hammer.

The first nut had very shriveled meat inside.  Perhaps it had been attacked by a bug.

The second and third nuts looked promising except that the meats resembled dried Chinese wood ear mushrooms and they tasted like nothing.  (My photo doesn’t do this justice.)

Shagbark hickory nuts, hammered open (photo by Kate St. John)

Either I was doing something wrong — quite possible — or these nuts are not as good as described.

I wonder how many nuts the squirrels spend time opening only to find that the meat inside was not worth it.

(photo by Kate St. John)

This Is Exciting

Migration, Schenley Park, Songbirds

Yellow-rumped warbler, October 2013 (photo by Shawn Collins)

They’re here!  The yellow-rumped warblers are back from Canada, on their way to the lower Ohio Valley, the southern U.S., and Central America for the winter.

Yesterday Karyn Delaney and her husband stopped counting at 100 when they found so many yellow-rumps on the Pine Tree Trail at Presque Isle State Park.  Shawn Collins snapped this one in Crawford County.

Like the first snowfall I’m excited to see my first big flock of yellow-rumped warblers in southwestern Pennsylvania.  I haven’t found a flock yet but I think I’ve heard one bird — just one — at Schenley Park.

Unfortunately, just like snow I soon tire of them.  I remember at Magee Marsh last May when my first reaction to seeing yellow-rumped warblers was “Wow!” and within an hour it was “Darn!  Another yellow-rump.”  Their abundance becomes boring.

But I haven’t seen them yet, so for the moment this bird is exciting.

 

(photo by Shawn Collins)