What makes a good “crop” tree? Crop trees are trees that produce benefits, such as food or shelter for wildlife, timber revenue for the landowner, or water quality protection.  

Join Women Owning Woodlands Vermont (WOW VT) at one of VLT’s properties where a Vermont Youth Conservation Corps crew is working on a forest management project called a crop tree release with canopy gap formation.

For this project, crew members are cutting some trees in order to give space to preferred crop trees, such as black cherry. Black cherries are an important food for wildlife, especially songbirds who are fueling up for the long journey south each fall.

The crew is also removing groups of poorly formed trees that overtop young spruce and fir trees in order to give the young trees access to light for growth. Birds such as black-throated blue warblers nest and find shelter in the young trees. Join us to learn how you can improve the health of your crop trees and create songbird habitat by cutting trees that directly compete with them for light. 

WOW VT programs are tailored towards those who identify as female, but all are welcome to participate.     

The Vermont Land Trust welcomes and affirms all regardless of their age, culture, abilities, ethnic origin, gender, gender identity, marital status, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.