Old Logging

While we would love to say Brooker Creek Preserve is pristine, this land has had a lot of human impacts over the years. Looking at historical aerial images, this land was cleared for pasture land prior to the 1970s, and then in the early 1970s, it was planted with trees. These trees were planted with a purpose, to be harvested in the future for timber. When trees are planted for later use, they are planted in rows; this assists property owners with maintenance of the trees, providing clear pathways for roads, equipment and machinery. The planted pines were then logged in the mid 1990’s, but some trees were left as “seed trees” to allow the land to return to a more natural state like what you see today. Evidence of trees planted in rows can still be seen. See if you can spot this feature as you hike along the trail.