Native vegetation is very important to both wildlife and to help with other ecosystem services on the landscape. Unfortunately, it was recently discovered that vandals cut native sumac trees on the slope at the IO Tower parking lot here at MCR. These plants are very important to wildlife for their fruits that persist into winter, as well as their leaves which are important for several pollinator species. Please note that MCR has scheduled brush management prescriptions at different times of the year and for different areas of the property for different management objectives (i.e. wildlife, soil erosion controls, species diversity, etc). It is important to understand that MCR has to manage many different natural resources that are subject to specific planning and seasonal timings. Please remember that collecting, picking or disturbing plants is prohibited at MCR and can lead to a permeant banning from the grounds. We can only assume that the individual(s) responsible for this did not understand the importance of why these sumac trees were there and why MCR was waiting to address the area for routine brush management. Therefore, for an education on the importance of Sumac – here is a short article that talks about the benefits of sumac for wildlife (and people). https://plantersplace.com/wild-life-gardening-journal/sumac-is-great-for-wildlife-gardens/?fbclid=IwAR3h0Z0Y0162efIZaBEJNCNZ5l3ir-z7i37Aa68-1pRWa7min0zXuE4fK-o
Vandals cut native sumac trees on the slope at the IO Tower parking lot here at MCR – why?
