These way points were collected by our Remote Sensing class at Penn State Mont Alto on 9/11/19.
The first stop we made was at the Waynesboro reservoir, it was built in the 1950’s by the Forest Service with the help of the Mont Alto forestry students who assisted in the harvesting of trees. The forest surrounding the reservoir is primarily an oak/pine forest. Standing tall over the rest of the forest was various eastern white pines (Pinus strobus) indicating overgrown open fields from when the forest was harvested.
The second stop we made was within the Waynesboro watershed. The area that we stopped in was previously in the 1930’s a farm owned by the Baker family. It is now several plantations surrounded by the Michaux State Forest. Of those plantations there is an eastern white pine plantation consisting of trees around 60-65 years old, there is an American chestnut plantation, planted by forestry students at Penn State Mont Alto that is surrounded by a deer fence, and last is a loblolly pine plantation that was also planted by forestry students.
The third stop we made was at Birch Run Reservoir, this reservoir was for Chambersburg up until the early 90’s. At this time the dam began to leak and had to be breached. Since the dam had been breached Birch Run has now been labeled a cold water fishery, and is also a recreational area with hiking trails. The Bureau of Forestry planted trees in the reservoir with the help of forestry students and when it was planted they purposely planted non native tree species such as European black alder.
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