Competing with native vegetation, they are often the first to leaf out, robustly establish themselves in broken and disturbed soils, and produce flower pollen, and later fruit or seed. But pollinator insects and birds do not find them favorable. Much time has gone into a native plant and animal relationship where originals cannot be substituted. It isn’ t sustainable or healthy for either one.
My first job with the Department of Natural Resources was at Turkey Run State Park. While there I learned about glacial history. The glacier, along with meltwater, deposited seeds and seedlings of northern plants like eastern hemlock trees. Their J-shaped growth teetered out and away from the impressive sandstone cliffs. They joined Canada yew and rare orchids not normally found there.
I thought my botany knowledge needed a recharge, so I enrolled at nearby DePauw University and received a Master’ s degree. Field trips allowed me to experience these unique plant communities with my classmates. And my plant journey continued.
A faculty advisor reminded me a graduate thesis was due within two years of finishing and asked if I had considered any plant research. Working then at Brown County State Park and driving past those expansive vistas made me wonder how and why the park’ s forest had been cleared. The young stand of hardwoods, mixed and still recovering, wasn’ t near 100 years of growth, compared to Turkey Run’ s virgin tracts of 650-700 years old.“ There’ s your thesis,” he said. He suggested researching where the Brown County timber went.
It’ s hard to imagine the park’ s 16,000 acres were cleared, but timber removal had already started by the early 1800s. Farmers used local timber crews and those traveling through southern Indiana to cut and drag trees into the bottoms. Log heaps were set ablaze and burned for weeks. Plowing was done in and around tree stumps, and sometimes not always following the contour. Erosion took its toll on the hilly, thin forest soils, and a destitute citizenry struggled for livelihood.
Brown County’ s hilly terrain reminds me of my Pennsylvania start. There, sheep trails curved over pastured hills and into ravines where the trees grew. Plants of my childhood had local names like sticktights and fuzzy tongue, cow’ s lip, and fairy wisp. Later I learned a more academic version of the family, genus, and species. But I still like the early names.
My plant journey has been lifelong, and it continues. I’ ll always be a lover of plants. •
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May / June 2024 • Our Brown County 65