Bur Oak Field Day with a Forestry Technician

By Shannon Scott

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to join the Bur Oak Restoration Team (BORT), a group made up of individuals from various environmental organizations and companies across the province, for a field visit to areas where bur oak still grows.

Bur oak is native to New Brunswick, but due to extensive logging in the past and land clearing for homes and cottages, it now grows in very few places across the province. BORT is working on ways to protect and conserve this beautiful tree with the hope of increasing its population over time.

We visited four different sites throughout the day, and it was fascinating to see how location and land management practices had influenced each one. One particularly interesting site was an island that had been used as cattle pasture for many years. Bur oak was planted there in the early 2000s, and the area was fenced off at the time to prevent the cows from eating the young trees. About ten years later, once the trees were tall enough to avoid damage, the fence was removed. Many of the trees that survived are now doing well and have reached an age where we would expect to start seeing some natural regeneration. However, because the cows continue to graze there during the summer, there is very little regeneration of any kind in that part of the island.

This was a sharp contrast to another site we visited, a natural stand with large mature bur oak trees. Cattle had grazed this area until about 20 years ago, but once the landowner learned how rare the bur oak was, he removed the cows. Since then, the area has seen abundant regeneration at various stages. The difference between the two sites was remarkable.

Overall, it was a great experience to learn more about both the challenges and the progress being made in restoring and protecting these magnificent trees. And really, who doesn't love spending a beautiful day out in the woods?