Bradley is a Restoration Fellow working for the Restoration department at ANS from August 2019 - August 2020. He is a recent graduate from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Management and hopes to pursue a graduate degree this fall.

Woodend Restoration Watch: American Chestnut Update

Last spring, we planted 24 American chestnut seeds to assist The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) in testing the offspring from their over 30 year breeding program. We had some success with these seeds, especially those more exposed to the sun (pictured below), but unfortunately, only half of them survived through… Continue reading

Woodend Restoration Watch: Strawberry Bush Edition

Strawberry bush (Euonymus americanus), also known as hearts-a-burstin’ or wahoo, is a native shrub beloved to naturalists and wildlife alike. Occurring in eastern woodlands, often found in sandy thickets or alongside streams and rivers, this shrub can grow up to 12 feet tall. Its small green leaves grow opposite each… Continue reading

Woodend Restoration Watch: Secrets of the Woodend Forest Revealed

Woodend Sanctuary, like most of the Mid-Atlantic area, was historically a mixed hardwood forest dominated by oaks and hickories. With European settlement, the forest was cleared for agriculture. In the mid-1900s it was left to return to forest, but its natural trajectory was influenced by the spread of invasive species… Continue reading

Woodend Restoration Watch: Tulip Tree Edition

The forest at Woodend is a young one.  It is not dominated by oaks and hickories like older growth forests in our region.  Rather, the most common tree in our woods is Liriodendron tulipifera, a fast-growing, light-loving early successional species.  The triple-trunked specimen by our pond may be the oldest… Continue reading

Woodend Restoration Watch: Japanese maple edition

Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), a staple at Woodend and a reminder of Ms. Well’s affinity for Japanese horticulture, boasts its attractiveness in the fall. Although beautiful and easy to grow at home, these trees pose multiple problems within forests. They provide little benefits to native wildlife and can displace native… Continue reading

Woodend Restoration Watch: Winter 2018 edition

For many years, the forests of Woodend Nature Sanctuary, ANS’ 40-acre headquarters, have been subjected to deer overbrowsing, invasive species and urbanization. This has resulted in a forest with little to no native understory that lacks structural complexity. Our impacted forest is therefore not able to function properly, which negatively… Continue reading