CORRECTLY TIMING BRUSH MANAGEMENT

Brush management is a land management practice that yields a variety of results. Done improperly, the results seriously alter and damage the landscape -- just one hour with an ill-considered round of chainsawing can take one hundred years to repair. But, when done correctly, brush management enhances your property's value to wildlife, aesthetics, and the surrounding ecosystem. While there are no sure things in land management, a well-considered brush management plan helps ensure the desired results are achieved.

The first step of a proper management plan is to decide the goals for your property. For properties under a 1-d-1w wildlife management use appraisal, the goal should be to improve the health of the land in a way that benefits your targeted wildlife species.

The next consideration should be when to conduct the planned work. With the exception of endangered species habitat, 1-d-1w guidelines allow brush management to be conducted anytime between January 1 and December 31. However, there are times when conducting brush management could be harmful to target wildlife species. For instance, if your wildlife management plan includes managing for songbirds, running chainsaws or equipment in songbird habitat during their breeding season could have a negative impact on the next year's population. While the cool weather of spring might be the most enticing time of year to fire up a chainsaw to clear brush, doing so might hurt the wildlife you are trying to protect. The whine of a saw and the disturbance of brush are not conducive to reproductive activities; nesting may be disrupted and newborns stressed. As the typical songbird breeding season in Central Texas lasts from March 15 to August 15, the better times for conducting brush management are from January 1 through March 15, and from August 15 through December 31.

Similarly, when conducting brush management with equipment such as a skid steer with hydraulic shears on a property being managed for quail or turkey, brush management safely occurs from January 1 through March 31 and from October 1 through December 3. These birds are ground nesting birds, and equipment can inadvertently run over and destroy nests and eggs.

An added benefit of conducting brush management with equipment during these dates is that they also coincide with the recommended dates for planting native grasses that are beneficial to both the land and wildlife. These two management practices work well together not only because of the timing, but also because using equipment to conduct brush management will disturb the soil which is a requirement of planting grass seed. By conducting these practices together, there is an increased ecological benefit. Planting the appropriate seeds can help ensure that the new vegetation will create good quality habitat for the target wildlife species.

Brush management is conducted in a variety of ways and times throughout the year to achieve any number of management goals. The benefits of brush management increase when implemented with a well developed plan, executed at the proper time, and matched with complimentary management practices.

Plateau offers selective and ecologically sound brush management which maintains the integrity of the habitat for native wildlife, while enhancing the beauty of your property. Whether high intensity, machine brush clearing or hand work, our skilled field technicians implement techniques that are tailored to the habitat needs of your property and its wildlife. Contact us for more details.

When done correctly, brush management enhances your property's value to wildlife, aesthetics, and the surrounding ecosystem.

WILD FOOD: JUNIPER BERRIES

Dried juniper berries are a classic spice for venison recipes, but are they the same as or similar to the berries found on our local Ashe juniper (cedar)? Can the juniper berries populating the cedar on our Central Texas property be used just like the dried juniper berries in that bottle of Morton & Bassett in the back of our pantry?

Yes!

As the berries found on our Ashe juniper have begun to ripen and, depending on the tree, will continue to do so between now and January, we thought it timely to ask Plateau co-founder Beyrl Armstrong how he uses our local juniper berries. Why ask him? Beyrl was raised in Hawaii and Indonesia and, in previous incarnations, has worked as shrimper, a sailboat captain, restaurant manager, and hatter's helper. He has also traveled around the world and sailed across the Gulf of Mexico seven times. With that sort of life we figured he would have a thought or two on juniper berries.

We were right!

According to Beyrl, he collects the berries when they are plump and ripe (the juice will be sweet to the taste when the fruit is squeezed). He spreads the berries on a cookie sheet so they aren't touching, and dries them in a gas oven by pilot light heat which typically takes a couple of days. He has successfully stored them for years in a sealed bottle kept in his spice cabinet. He crushes or grinds them in a pepper mill (used only for juniper berries) and puts them his venison marinade. He also uses them to flavor German style pork pot roast and German sweet cabbage salad (along with caraway seed). Beyrl notes that if you have heard tasted a martini, then you have tasted juniper berries. One of the principle flavoring agents (called botanicals) of gin is juniper. The word "gin" comes from the Dutch word Jenever or the French word Genievre, depending on who you believe. Beyrl also notes that the tender fresh ends of juniper branches (leaf on) are used to flavor pickled fish and for smoking oily fish such as salmon.

Article photo: A “spice tree” in our own backyard. Photo of Ashe juniper berries by Micah McCain via DSBabble.com.

ADVENTURES IN BRUSH MANAGEMENT

Or how I dragged myself off the phone and started dragging.

By Kameron Bain

Growing up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, I witnessed the magic and the majesty of nature. However, I never understood what it meant to be a true steward of the land until I came to work at Plateau. During the past three years, as a member of the Plateau team, I have been immersed in a continuing education on what it takes to be a responsible private landowner. As a member of Plateau's office staff, that education has come within the confines of a comfortable office, via biologist reports and technician tales from the trenches. But when I was promoted to the business development team, I knew I could not effectively sell Plateau's services without hands-on experience. I needed to really learn what our landowners take on throughout the year.

Because the Plateau team is definitely one of action, within the blink of an eye I found myself transported from my office chair to the cab of a pick up, and on the road to my first Plateau adventure in brush management. Truth be told, I was nervous, but on our ride to the client property, Plateau Ecologist Eric Wallgren eased my nerves by going over what to expect. Eric provided safety tips and assured me I would not get hurt. Maybe dirty, but not hurt.

As a firm believer that dressing the part helps you act the part, I was pleased that once we arrived at the property we suited up, head to toe, in protective gear. As we set off for the job site, I settled into the back of the truck where I caught sight of a deer moving through the trees. A common picture in these parts to be sure, but not an everyday occurrence in New Hampshire and, even after three years, the novelty and thrill has not warn off. As I blithely lifted my head to take in all the lovely sights and sounds of our Hill Country ...THWACK! I was whacked in the face with a low-hanging tree branch.

First lesson learned.

After smartly ducking for the remainder of our journey to the job site, next lessons leaned were the dos and don'ts of the scary monster the techs call the shredder. Not in the mood to lose any limbs, I paid close attention to the technical aspects of brush management. But, perhaps more importantly, I learned Plateau's ecological approach to brush management. Plateau strives to not only enhance the beauty of the land, but also improve the habitat. Whether it be straight logs for erosion control or converting all remaining branches to mulch, nothing cut down is wasted.

When the official work began, it finally sank in that I was actually about to do this! With all engines running, the tech team dove into doing what they do best -- working hard. I was impressed with the seamless work style of the tech team. Everyone stepped into a task that needed to be filled without debate or discussion. They worked the shredder and chainsaws like it was second nature and they truly made the job seem effortless.

Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all!

I quickly decided the best task for me to take on was dragging the brush piles to the shredder. While this appeared to be the least complicated job, I soon learned it was in no way easy. The brush piles and I had many battles royal throughout the day, and I had the scratches and bruises to prove it. Although at times it took all my might, I felt quite strong and victorious when I could find that one branch that would allow me to drag the entire pile to the shredder.

During the first hour I felt good, and remember thinking "Hey, this is really isn't that bad. I can do this." Then, as the hours passed and the sun grew stronger, my drags downgraded from smaller loads to smallish branches to throwing twigs. I ended the day by kicking the brush around with my feet. I was exhausted, dirty, sweaty, and beat-up. To this very day, I do not know how our tech team does this day in and day out. I always knew they worked hard, but I now had a first hand experience and profound appreciation for what they do for Plateau and landowners.

Finally, my work was done. This was certainly the hardest physical labor I had experienced in the past decade. But I was truly rewarded when I looked behind me and saw what a difference we made in just one day. The trail we created made this piece of the property look more open, beautiful, and, after tangling with brush all day, more free. I thought about how our client landowner would enjoy his property more because he could actually walk about and enjoy the sounds of the stream we had uncovered.

Thank you to Steve, Eric, Romey, and Jake for their patience, their knowledge, and their graciousness in letting me work side by side with them. Not only were they doing their job, and doing it well, but they were helping and watching out for me all day. Their expertise, skill, and work ethic are inspiring. I am truly honored to be on the same team with all of them.

Until my next Plateau adventure, have a great summer!

Kameron Bain grew up in Conway, New Hampshire nestled in the heart of the Mount Washington Valley. She graduated from Quinnipiac University in Hamdon, Connecticut in 2002 with a BA in Mass Communications. Tired of the cold, six years ago she decided to move to the warmth and Texas. She joined the team at Plateau Land & Wildlife Management three years ago as the receptionist. Today, she works on the Business Development team focusing on what she loves best, helping clients.

For more information, on Plateau's brush management services (Kameron not included), contact us today!