The Branching Out gang at Gettysburg
The National Park Service’s Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation provided Gettysburg National Military Park with 13 youth from their landscape management program, Branching Out, to assist the park with orchard management. Branching Out engages young people in learning the concepts and techniques of landscape management practices within the National Park Service.
Vole prevention in the Peach Orchard
Through structured hands-on field experiences, participants are exposed to a variety of opportunities that can lead to higher education and career exploration in park management. Youth participants work alongside National Park Service staff and trade professionals to protect park resources while acquiring the knowledge and skills of landscape stewardship and conservation.
Brendan Chin works in the Rose North Orchard
While at Gettysburg Branching Out participants learned from park experts the how-to’s of pruning orchard trees; the importance of pest management practices to reduce trunk girdling by voles; and tips to identify basic tree anatomy and physiology.
The park thanks Branching Out for their exceptional work and we look forward to working with Branching Out in the future!
For more information on Branching Out visit: http://www.nps.gov/oclp/branching_out.htm
In a future blog post I will write more about caring for Gettysburg’s historic orchards.
Zach Bolitho, Chief, Resource Management, August 8, 2012
Thanks for being such wonderful hosts! We all really enjoyed working with Gettysburg staff and enjoying your beautiful landscape resources.
Can someone explain the teabags found on some of the orchard trees at Gettysburg? Is this some sort of homespun insect repellent?
A good question! The “tea bags” have an organic material that will repel deer to prevent them from feeding on the new trees.
-the Staff
The effort and dedication is greatly appreciated by all
Thanks for all you do !!