Reforesting Catoctin Mountain Park

Submitted by Lindsey Donaldson, Biologist,
Catoctin Mountain Park
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Volunteer Amanda Wobbleton plants
a silky dogwood seedling at Catoctin
Mountain Park.

Owens Creek in Catoctin Mountain Park supports a viable population of native brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis.  Brook trout require cool stream temperatures to survive.  The protection of the Owens Creek headwaters provides cool water to downstream trout habitats and is critical to the survival of the brook trout.  Volunteers at Catoctin Mountain Park have been instrumental in the restoration of native vegetation in the southern headwaters of Owens Creek.  The mature trees that provide shade to the headwaters have lost some of their branches, making the canopy cover patchy and allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor.  To provide more shade to the streams, volunteers planted 400 young trees during the spring of 2010 and are working to plant over 375 bare root seedlings provided by the Monocacy and Catoctin Watershed Alliance.  Planting will continue throughout the summer of 2010.  If you would like to volunteer to plant seedlings, please contact Biologist Lindsey Donaldson at 301-416-0536.