{"id":9246,"date":"2020-01-06T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-06T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/?p=9246"},"modified":"2026-07-29T17:48:59","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T21:48:59","slug":"a-forest-runs-through-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/2020\/01\/a-forest-runs-through-it\/","title":{"rendered":"A Forest Runs Through It"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

Green spaces such as parks, gardens and\nforests are emerging as essential tools to improve public health and address\nenvironmental challenges in communities worldwide, especially in metro\nareas with extensive urban sprawl. These spaces not only\nfacilitate physical activity but also filter out harmful air pollution\nand provide habitat for wildlife. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Raleigh, where the population has grown faster than nearly any other major American municipality in the past decade, residents enjoy access to thousands of acres of green space across local and state parks \u2014 and properties owned and managed by North Carolina State University. That includes 245 acres at Carl Alwin Schenck Memorial Forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schenck Forest, located just 10 minutes from NC State’s main campus and about eight miles from downtown Raleigh, is managed by the College of Natural Resources as a teaching and research site where students learn about forest management. It also serves as a popular recreation spot for local residents who enjoy its walking trails and picnic areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSchenck Forest is somewhat of a hidden gem, and it holds a place in the hearts of the faculty, students and neighbors that frequent it,\u201d said Elizabeth Snider, the forest manager in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources in the College of Natural Resources.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting the Seeds <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before it was a popular outdoor destination, the land where Schenck Forest now sits was once part of North Carolina\u2019s Camp Polk Prison Farm. In 1937, the state turned over a portion of the farm to NC State. The university subsequently named the property Richlands Creek Forest and planted 92 acres of loblolly pine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly two decades later, the university renamed the forest in memory of Carl Schenck, the founder of the Biltmore Forest School, the country\u2019s first practical forestry school. Schenck\u2019s ashes were scattered in the forest following his death that year, and a bronze memorial plaque was mounted on a granite boulder near a picnic area<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Schenck Forest plays a vital role as an outdoor laboratory for a number of academic programs including forestry, botany, mycology, ecology, soils, recreation and wildlife biology. The forest hosts multiple classes and active research projects, including tree growth, genetics, hydrology, soils and wildlife and habitat monitoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schenck Forest, which is open to the public during daylight hours, also features a teaching arboretum and several walking trails that allow the college to educate the public about forest management practices. Some trails even pass through sites where a variety of these practices can be observed firsthand, including timber harvests aimed at restoring one of North Carolina\u2019s most endangered tree species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saving a Species <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, the college has conducted a number of active management operations at Schenck Forest to help restore the health and balance of the land. That includes timber harvests aimed at revitalizing one of the state’s most endangered forest communities \u2014\u00a0the longleaf pine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Longleaf pine once covered an estimated 90 million acres across the southern United States but now only covers a fraction of its original range \u2014 4.3 million acres, to be exact. The reason behind this decline involves many factors, including land-use change and fire suppression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Longleaf<\/a>
Longleaf pine is the longest lived of the southern pine species. Throughout most of its range, individual longleaf pines can reach 250 years in age. This photo depicts a juvenile planted several years ago at Schenck Forest. Photo by Andrew Moore, NC State College of Natural Resources.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 2020, after harvesting trees at Schenck Forest, Snider and her colleagues conducted a prescribed burn to prepare the site for longleaf pine and to reduce loblolly and hardwood competition. They eventually planted approximately 17 acres with longleaf pine seedlings, which will eventually mature and begin producing cones that will provide the seed source necessary for long-term, natural regeneration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Timber harvests and active management operations not only provide a much-needed boost to longleaf pine restoration but also directly benefit Schenck Forest\u2019s wildlife, including whitetail deer, turkey and quail. Like most Southeastern wildlife, these species thrive on ecological disturbances that create early successional forests. These dynamic habitats deliver vital forage, shelter and nesting refuge.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n

Green spaces such as parks, gardens and\nforests are emerging as essential tools to improve public health and address\nenvironmental challenges in communities worldwide, especially in metro\nareas with extensive urban sprawl. These spaces not only\nfacilitate physical activity but also filter out harmful air pollution\nand provide habitat for wildlife. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Raleigh, where the population has grown faster than nearly any other major American municipality in the past decade, residents enjoy access to thousands of acres of green space across local and state parks \u2014 and properties owned and managed by North Carolina State University. That includes 245 acres at Carl Alwin Schenck Memorial Forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schenck Forest, located just 10 minutes from NC State's main campus and about eight miles from downtown Raleigh, is managed by the College of Natural Resources as a teaching and research site where students learn about forest management. It also serves as a popular recreation spot for local residents who enjoy its walking trails and picnic areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSchenck Forest is somewhat of a hidden gem, and it holds a place in the hearts of the faculty, students and neighbors that frequent it,\u201d said Elizabeth Snider, the forest manager in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources in the College of Natural Resources.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting the Seeds <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before it was a popular outdoor destination, the land where Schenck Forest now sits was once part of North Carolina\u2019s Camp Polk Prison Farm. In 1937, the state turned over a portion of the farm to NC State. The university subsequently named the property Richlands Creek Forest and planted 92 acres of loblolly pine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly two decades later, the university renamed the forest in memory of Carl Schenck, the founder of the Biltmore Forest School, the country\u2019s first practical forestry school. Schenck\u2019s ashes were scattered in the forest following his death that year, and a bronze memorial plaque was mounted on a granite boulder near a picnic area<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Schenck Forest plays a vital role as an outdoor laboratory for a number of academic programs including forestry, botany, mycology, ecology, soils, recreation and wildlife biology. The forest hosts multiple classes and active research projects, including tree growth, genetics, hydrology, soils and wildlife and habitat monitoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schenck Forest, which is open to the public during daylight hours, also features a teaching arboretum and several walking trails that allow the college to educate the public about forest management practices. Some trails even pass through sites where a variety of these practices can be observed firsthand, including timber harvests aimed at restoring one of North Carolina\u2019s most endangered tree species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saving a Species <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, the college has conducted a number of active management operations at Schenck Forest to help restore the health and balance of the land. That includes timber harvests aimed at revitalizing one of the state's most endangered forest communities \u2014\u00a0the longleaf pine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Longleaf pine once covered an estimated 90 million acres across the southern United States but now only covers a fraction of its original range \u2014 4.3 million acres, to be exact. The reason behind this decline involves many factors, including land-use change and fire suppression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Longleaf<\/a>
Longleaf pine is the longest lived of the southern pine species. Throughout most of its range, individual longleaf pines can reach 250 years in age. This photo depicts a juvenile planted several years ago at Schenck Forest. Photo by Andrew Moore, NC State College of Natural Resources.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 2020, after harvesting trees at Schenck Forest, Snider and her colleagues conducted a prescribed burn to prepare the site for longleaf pine and to reduce loblolly and hardwood competition. They eventually planted approximately 17 acres with longleaf pine seedlings, which will eventually mature and begin producing cones that will provide the seed source necessary for long-term, natural regeneration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Timber harvests and active management operations not only provide a much-needed boost to longleaf pine restoration but also directly benefit Schenck Forest\u2019s wildlife, including whitetail deer, turkey and quail. Like most Southeastern wildlife, these species thrive on ecological disturbances that create early successional forests. These dynamic habitats deliver vital forage, shelter and nesting refuge.<\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since its establishment, Schenck has been managed as a teaching and research site where students learn about forest management and the associated benefits. It has also become a popular recreation spot for Raleigh residents who enjoy its walking trails and picnic areas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":171,"featured_media":19226,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"displayCategoryID\":179,\"subtitle\":\"Schenck Forest has become a site for research, recreation and restoration in the heart of Raleigh.\",\"caption\":\"Photo by Andrew Moore, NC State College of Natural Resources\"}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[179,1,102,3],"tags":[107,265,59],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[],"class_list":["post-9246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-impact-and-outreach","category-hidden-news","category-hidden-newswire","category-research-innovation","tag-environmental-education-and-communication","tag-forest-health","tag-forest-management"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":179,"name":"Impact and Outreach","slug":"impact-and-outreach","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":179,"taxonomy":"category","description":"Explore our faculty and students\u2019 powerful impact throughout North Carolina and beyond \u2014 from helping communities become more resilient against climate change to promoting agritourism to support local farmers.","parent":0,"count":60,"filter":"raw"},"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/171"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9246"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9246\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42936,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9246\/revisions\/42936"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9246"},{"taxonomy":"_ncst_magazine_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_ncst_magazine_issue?post=9246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}