Unveiling the Secrets Behind the Eaglebrook Landscape

Eaglebrook School is working with students from the Inventory of Local Lands class at The University of Massachusetts (UMass), taught by Paul Catanzaro, to uncover natural resource and history mysteries on our campus. The UMass students who are working on this project are all upper level college or graduate students.

The Eaglebrook Science Department and Sustainability committee are coordinating these efforts. The program that the UMass group will be developing for us is exciting and we hope to continue to collect data with our students as we observe the forest long after this project is over. We believe that this is an important endeavor and look forward to the results. Read below to see where and how the UMass students are working with the Eaglebrook campus. The group will be presenting their findings to the Eaglebrook Science Department in early May.

Some of the students decided to embark on an adventure hoping to dig up all the unique and rich history of Eaglebrook’s land. Even before Howard Gibbs started the school in 1922, there were people, like Native Americans and the first English settlers, who were using the same land where the classrooms stand today.

By searching through old maps, land deeds, and other historical documents, the Umass group will attempt to figurout out exactly who's been using this land, and for what reasons, and they will develop a timeline. The timline is important to help us understand how human activity has influenced the different habitats, tree species, and animals that are still there today- and what better way is there to learn about your place in the environment than from what others have done before you. We are looking forward to all the exciting things we may find.

Forests are forever changing around us, but it is difficult to judge how quickly these changes are happening. To gain a practical understanding of this concept, CFI (continuous forest inventory) plots will be created in various forest types and through active participation in the field, students will be able to analyze how forests are changing in their own surroundings. Stressors such as competition, site conditions, wildlife, and invasive species will be included. Special attention will be given to a stand of young birch that are uniquely located within an older stand of hardwoods. Young, dense trees offer the best opportunity to observe change in the shortest amount of time. The plots will be placed within walking distance of the campus to optimize accessibility and time management. The goal of this project is to establish an outdoor/indoor lesson plan that classrooms can return to for many years to come.

The American Chestnut tree was once the tallest, most dominant tree species of the Eastern United States forests. However due to a fast-spreading disease, they are no longer the giants that they once were.

Together we’ll work on learning the history and ecological significance of the American Chestnut tree. We will show the importance that this majestic tree once provided to all forests around Massachusetts, and how this natural gem can still be found on the Eaglebrook property today.

The UMass students will analyze the hydrology of the Eaglebrook property through assessment and mapping of its perennial and intermittent streams. This will help guide their analysis of the site within the context of the larger Connecticut River watershed and drainage basin. As the school pumps its own drinking water from an on-site well, they will also look at well-head protection on the property. They will identify some potential problem areas for erosion, particularly around the ski slope and trails, so that the school can prevent damage to its outdoor facilities. They will produce some educational material for students that explain the importance of managing water resources to provide wildlife habitat, landscape protection, and humans with their most vital resource.

Vernal pools provide some of the most specialized and unique habitat of any natural setting in New England. They have mapped out sites for potential vernal pools on the Eaglebrook property and they will investigate these sites as the snow melts to see if they host certain obligate species of amphibians and invertebrates. If active vernal pools are identified, these sites will provide a rich outdoor setting for students to learn about ecology, biodiversity, and local conservation. We will prepare educational resources that facilitate hands-on learning about these environments.

The school grounds are home to a number of wildlife species that the Umass students hope to understand better through their field efforts. They will conduct bird transect surveys and place track boxes and camera traps at areas with a high volume of animal traffic. These survey techniques, in conjunction with habitat suitability assessments based on New England wildlife literature, will give us an understanding of what species are utilizing Eaglebrook’s property. They will present their findings to the school faculty and provide materials that can be used to facilitate an integrated outdoor curriculum and allowing for individual students to utilize them based on their interests.

In hopes of creating a resource for Eaglebrook students, staff, and visitors, UMass students will be constructing an all-inclusive trail map of the property's recreational trails. Additionally the map will depict several notable ecological features along the trails. These "stops" will include a variation of native tree species, different wildlife habitats, water features, etc. There will be a map legend that offers further information about each feature. It will connect students to the natural world and give them a better understanding of how complex the forest really is, while still offering a relief from the day to day stress of academic life. This map will offer a recreational experience and a science lesson all in one.