V o lu me T h i rt y O ne , N umber 6
June 2017
Keeping Wheeler Woods healthy requires vigilance, hard work and sometimes harder choices By Irene Borgogno
STEWARDSHIP FOREST. The modest sign that marks the entrance to Wheeler Woods also marks a commitment to responsible action in an environment with conflicting goals. Forest stewardship is a concept put forth by the Natural Lands Trust. The primary goal is to enhance the health of the forest, enabling it to regenerate itself while providing food and shelter to its denizens, both resident and migratory. Beaumont consists of 50 acres, of which 24.5 acres can be described as undeveloped or woodland. An initial Stewardship Plan was completed in 1994, and updated in 2012. HEALTH. A healthy forest consists of four robust levels of vegetation: canopy (tallest trees), understory (smaller trees), shrubbery, and herb layer. The most important sign of health is the forest’s ability to regenerate and maintain itself. Thin growth, absence of regeneration, lack of diversity of plants and preponderance of exotic (non-native) plants are all signs of poor health and degraded forest ecology. PROBLEMS. The most common problem is the
RECIPE CONTEST And the winners are . . .
By Evelyn Rosen, Dining Committee Chair
This spring, following upon Mary Schnabel’s “First Ever Recipe Contest” at Beaumont in 2010, the Dining Committee decided to launch another contest. From the beginning of March until the beginning of
Forest photos by Lynn Ayres
DAPPLED SUNLIGHT filtering through the leaves illuminates the built-up trail base, softened with wood chips.
HARD CHOICES: Young, healthy non-native trees are marked for sacrifice to preserve the health of the forest.
presence of invasive exotic plant species. These plants use space, nutrients and water that could support native plants. They out-compete native plants, courtesy of the absence of natural enemies. Native animals and insects are not adapted to use exotics, which are therefore less beneficial for them than native plants. FOREST continued on page 4 May, the recipes poured in. Seventy were submitted to Chef John. He offered them as weekly and daily specials in the Mansion and Grill. How lucky we were to have tasted these time-tested recipes. Every soup, salad, entrée, side dish, and dessert added to the fine culinary standards of Beaumont. After the last recipe was submitted on May 3, the Food and Beverage team gathered to choose the winners, selecting them according to their taste and texture, ingredient compatibility, and popularity.
CONTEST continued on page 2