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Mature Woods

Mature forest with sun streaming in the through the trees.

Oaks, hickories and cherry trees dominate the mature woods. These trees provide food and shelter for a wide variety of animals, from raptors such as a great horned owls and Cooper’s hawks, to large mammals like white-tailed deer and gray fox. The large canopies of these trees limit the amount of sunlight reaching the ground, setting the stage for the next portion of succession, the Climax Forest. As you look out through the understory, you can see the stage is already being set.

High territorial in the spring, graceful hawks are often heard before they are seen during the breeding season.

Cooper's Hawk sitting on a branch.
Cooper’s Hawk

Hickory nuts are an important food source of squirrels and other local wildlife.

Shagbark Hickory Tree trunk showing bark peeling up.
Shagbark Hickory
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