Hikers on the South Ridge Trail at Sky Meadows State Park have likely noticed some changes to the landscape over the past couple of years. Why does the trail look different and what will it look like in the future? What do these changes mean for you and your exploration of this trail as it connects you to the park and to nature? Let’s answer these questions and learn how intentional natural resource management tools are used to enhance, not just the trail, but the wider ecosystem.

The Historic Area Overlook on South Ridge Trail
 

What happened to the trees?

If you’ve been a regular visitor to Sky Meadows and hiked repeatedly on the South Ridge Trail, you’ll probably notice that there are now a lot fewer trees along the first section of the trail. This is the result of a long-term land use plan intended to restore wildlife habitat, support pollinators, and ultimately improve the environment where you hike and experience nature at the park.

Forestry mulching along the first section of South Ridge Trail is the first part of a plan for restoring the area to a native plant meadow.

After ecological surveys were done in consultation with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and nonprofit partners such as the Clifton Institute and the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, it was determined that this section of the trail would benefit from forestry mulching to restore the native grasses and wildflowers which once thrived here as part of a meadow. Many beneficial grass and flower seeds remain in the soil, left over from a time before the land became a predominantly oak-hickory forest which was becoming overgrown with introduced invasive plant species.

Recent forestry mulching might make the trail look “messy,” but the natural erosion control it provides to the trail surface is an important part of keeping the trail sustainable.
 

What’s the plan?

The first step towards restoring this area to a healthy meadow was to cut back the woody growth to give the native grass and pollinator seeds a chance to grow where they need full sunlight. The next steps in the plan will also mitigate the regrowth and spread of invasive plants while cultivating and nurturing the beneficial pollinator meadow seeds to support the native wildlife, grazing cattle, and human visitors too. This natural resource stewardship project will take several years of intensive work implementing three phases of management which must be repeated every year until the balance of native to invasive plant species is satisfactory.

1. Forestry mulching
2. Herbicide spraying
3. Native pollinator seed planting

New plantings of native pollinator-friendly flora have already been done and more are planned, to enhance and supplement the already existing native plants. The park has selected and purchased seeds from Ernst Conservation Seeds with attention paid to improving the native biodiversity of the land.

Sky Meadows State Park Trails Coordinator, Kathyrn Roddy, describes the project this way:

            "I'm really excited about the restoration project we've initiated on the land our South Ridge Trail traverses. By restoring the meadow on the hillside where the trail begins, we'll be supporting wildlife and biodiversity by creating food and habitat for our native birds, deer, rabbits, foxes and pollinating insects.  Farther up the trail, many of the trees along the South Ridge corridor had died as a result of invasive round leaf bittersweet. The vine kills trees by strangling them as it grows around the trunk and by causing limbs to break off under the weight of its foliage and heavy fruits. Forestry mulching has cleared the dead trees and removed much of the invasive bittersweet, giving us space to plant and protect native seeds and seedlings. The project will take years to complete, but I can already imagine the deep connection with nature that our future visitors will feel hiking through the healthy, beautiful, and protected meadow and woodland ecosystems of our South Ridge Trail."
 

Newly sprouted milkweed after forestry mulching at George’s Overlook. Milkweed is necessary for the survival of monarch butterflies.
 

The meadow restoration plan for the first section of South Ridge Trail and the spur to George’s Overlook, represents just a fraction of park trails, the park landscape, and the larger Natural Resource Management Plan for Sky Meadows. Natural resource planning is an important part of the park master planning process and gives the park a framework for protecting its plants, wildlife, and the vast natural landscape to which they belong.
 

Meadow regrowth on South Ridge Trail resulting from the cleared area after forestry mulching in June 2023.
 

What will the future look like?

If the plan is successful, the future South Ridge Trail and George’s Overlook areas will be a well-nurtured and thriving meadow with plenty of birds, bees and butterflies flying from flower to flower. The area will also serve as a grazing pasture for the cattle that live here and help the park continue the tradition of agricultural use of the property, which dates back at least three centuries.
 

Sunrise view from South Ridge Trail: another benefit of the open pasture.
 

One additional benefit of an open pasture is increased visibility for hiking, birdwatching and other wildlife viewing. If you’re a day hiker you will probably notice the changes to the flora and fauna over the years, as the park fulfills its mission as a dynamic working landscape. If you stay in our primitive hike-in campground you will enjoy the campground’s proximity to the newly restored open meadow around South Ridge Trail for another favorite reason: stargazing. Designated in 2021, Sky Meadows is recognized as an International Dark Sky Park. So, whether you’re visiting at night or during the day, you’ll appreciate the important work being done by Sky Meadows staff, volunteers, and community partners to continue the ongoing story of restoring and protecting our precious natural resources.