Bird Lady at Tionesta--Book Excerpt

An Excerpt from
Pennsylvania Wilds: Images from the Allegheny National Forest
Story by Lisa Gensheimer, Photographs by Ed Bernik
© 2006 Forest Press

Linda Ordiway knows the songs of the forest by heart … It is April 23, and right on cue the black-throated green warbler is the first the first to arrive, followed by the robust song of the hermit thrush.  Funny how the winter wren, Pennsylvania’s smallest songbird, emits the longest song.  But after nearly six months of snow, who could blame him.

The seasons change and Linda listens, recording the bird populations and their behavior patterns in the 2,100-acre Tionesta National Scenic Area where she conducts her research.  A wildlife biologist for the USDA Forest Service Northeastern Research Station, she and a team of colleagues is deep in the woods by 5:30 a.m. monitoring the nesting habitat from the forest floor to the tallest canopy.

Designated a national landmark in 1973, the Tionesta National Scenic Area is part of the original old growth forest that once covered 6 million acres on the Allegheny Plateau.  The most striking feature is the massive stand of eastern hemlock and beech that is 300 to 400 years old.  Much of the beech has fallen victim to beech bark disease, but these dead and dying trees provide unique den sites for bats, porcupine, raccoons, black bears and American fishers.

Nature dealt another blow in May 1985 when a tornado ripped through the forest.  You don’t have to be a scientist to notice the rapid regeneration in the area ravaged by the winds.  The diversity in the area of “blowdown” is very high in comparison with the untouched old growth.  Major forest disturbances, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, and ice storms, are often necessary for long-term forest health. 

We may never completely understand this changing environment of ours with its the complex interplay of natural and human events, but Linda hopes she can make a contribution through the work she conducts in her open-air laboratory.

“I’m proud of the diversity of species we have among us.  Because of our unique habitat, we have birds that are important statewide and even worldwide.  The Allegheny National Forest is home to the densest concentration of scarlet tanager in the state, and the state is the densest in the world!  Mourning warblers are found in early successional habitat, including timber management areas and oil and gas management areas, which also house densest concentration in the state. 

“There is a lot to be said for celebrating our oil heritage and our lumber heritage,” says Linda, “but we also have much to appreciate from the natural world.”

If only we would take the time to listen.

For a first-hand look at the Allegheny National Forest in all its splendor, order the illlustrated history and fine-art photography book, Pennsylvania Wilds: Images from the Allegheny National Forest, available from booksellers nationwide and from Forest Press. The book comes with a free, Forest Companion CD. To plan your trip, see www.visitANF.com