Traditional indoor classrooms are still the primary mode of teaching at Ohio State Mansfield, but the campus is especially rich in outdoor learning spaces —the forests are a prime example. Trails facilitate a safe quick walk from buildings to the woods for short visits or more in-depth labs. A partnership with the US-Forest Service teaches students how researchers are breeding resistance into native ash trees against the emerald ash borer in a 2-part lab module for ENR 2100 Introduction to Environmental Sciences. As another example, students in Dr. Stephen Abedon's Biology 1101 course explore campus trees to learn about each tree species' values and key identification features.
Forests of Ecolab
The Ecolab’s Forests comprise roughly 75% of the overall Ohio State Mansfield campus.
Most forests are multi-level layers of vegetation often composed of an overstory, a midstory, and an understory.
Each layer can be home to many species of trees, shrubs, wildflowers, ferns, and more.
A diverse suite of wildlife call the forests home too.
Evidence of campus’ agricultural land use legacy is evident in the forest – this old hedgerow for example.
Woodland Stewards utilizes Ecolab as one of its primary outreach hubs, and as the name suggests, most of the workshops focus on the Forests and their wildlife.
Several areas within the campus forests demonstrate the complimentary alignment of research and outreach and illustrate the Land Grant mission of the University. To highlight one example, a crop tree demonstration area contrasts two different experimental treatments with a control. The plot also contains multiple deer exclosures that protect small areas from the impacts of white-tailed deer to allow researchers to study the effects of light and deer herbivory on forest understory plant communities.
The Woodland Stewards program makes consistent use of campus forests to teach workshops for private woodland owners. From a 6-acre crop tree demonstration area to a site where 3 different approaches to grapevine management are showcased, there are many opportunities to learn what forest stewardship truly looks like. Challenges presented by numerous invasive plant species provide additional opportunities to show-and-tell how managers can promote healthy and resilient forests. Visit the Events and Opportunities page to learn more about upcoming workshops or reach out if you would like to see a workshop offered for a particular forest-related topic.
Several trails lead visitors into the woods on campus where demonstration areas and interpretive signage are encountered. Take the Legacy Forest Trail to visit one of the older tracts of forest in the county but remember to pay attention to the differences between young and mature forests along your hike. The Molyet Blacktop Trail connects University students and community members to the heart of campus, but the trail also passes by the crop tree experiment and a brush pile demonstration to create wildlife habitat.