There are basically two types of forest communities in New York State. The majority of the forest is Northern Hardwoods. Between the Northern Hardwoods and the coast is the Oak-Hickory Forest. Now all these are communities.  The coastal area can be considered a third type and is mostly Maple and Basswood.

Within each of these communities are species of plants and animals. Consider this, with each passing season there are also communities. I am sure everyone has heard the idea that birds migrate. Well, if they migrate then their food sources are along a pattern that permits survival. Birding enthusiasts know what a bird flyway is. They are important and they are seasonal lending themselves to different species of birds for each season.

March 9, 2016

A male Cardinal (click here) sits on a bird feeder at the Derby Hill Bird Observatory in Mexico.

Sure, a backyard robin is a welcome sign of spring in Upstate New York, but if you've never experienced the sight of a kettle of hawks soaring overhead, get ready to welcome spring from a new point of view. New York State is fabulously situated along the Atlantic Flyway, one of four air routes migrating birds use to get back to their northern homes after spending the winter in warmer climes. Many birds, from large to small, migrate. The larger ones, like hawks, are most visible and get the most attention. More than 650 species of breeding birds make their homes in North America, and more than half migrate....

To realize there are certain species that will travel along a certain path over the land is to realize the DEFINITION conservation takes and what forest health means and how vital human interest is to protect these communities.

Protection is not a casual issue. It is not a simple issue. Is providing a healthy meal to children simple? Of course not. It has taken a great deal of study to understand the human body, that of a child and the nutrition it needs. Hence, the analogy can be applied when realizing PROTECTIONS of forest is not very different than the vigilance a parent would give to a child. Everything has to work and work well.