Volunteer Event - Help Plant Oak Trees
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North Fork Audubon Society has received a grant from the National Audubon Society to fund the purchase of four native white oak trees to plant along the park trails. The trees are 7-8’ tall with an estimated age of 10 years old; in 15-20 gallon pots and sourced from Long Island Natives in Eastport, NY. The trees will be planted at the junction of the Black and White Trails, near where a similar white oak tree was planted last fall.
While all of the hundreds of species of oaks are considered ecological powerhouses that anchor food webs for entire ecosystems, white oak trees in particular are considered highly beneficial. As described by Doug Tallamy (see article below), white oaks host over 900 species of moth and butterfly caterpillars which feed dozens of other species of insects, birds and small mammals, that in turn serve as a food source for larger raptors and other predators. 97% of the non-seabird species of birds rely on soft, protein-rich caterpillars to feed their offspring, with some birds bringing hundreds of caterpillars a day back to the nests. Other benefits of oak trees include providing shelter for many species, sequestering carbon, purifying the air, managing the watershed, and beautifying the landscape.
For more information about white oaks, see the links below:
Article and radio podcast: “Oaks: the most powerful plant of all, with Doug Tallamy - A Way To Garden”