Thinning of red maple

Throughout Hardwood Hermitage, red maple (acer rubrum) grows profusely. As a second-tier species, the tree often becomes kindling for us. We did a lot of thinning today in one area in order for young birches, sugar maple, and red oak to find more sunlight. The little chainsaw had red maple falling furiously, especially because the pesky species has a tendency to grow in clumps (stump sprouts), with maybe a dozen trunks crowded together. Here are some pictures from today's carnage: This is a before/after shot of the area we worked in. Notice the significant reduction of standing red maple in the second picture. Also, the piles of cut and lopped future kindling are visible in the second picture.

Much work is involved in making the cut stuff today ready to burn. But we have a nice addition to our 2017 kindling, while also helping the forest by reducing the large amount of competition in the woods.