Community work party placing perch poles in a recent harvest unit replanted with Douglas fir and western red cedar.

Raptors encouraged to protect young trees

Birds of prey were encouraged to help protect newly planted trees at the Crystal Lake Tree Farm in Woodinville by the placement of perch poles this past summer by volunteers.

The idea, explains Andrew Perleberg of Wenatchee, a Washington State University Extension Educator in the Forest Stewardship program, is for raptors like red-tailed hawks to use the perch poles to spot and hunt voles, rabbits and other small mammals that nibble on the young seedlings.

Perleberg provided these photos of a community work party placing perch poles in a recent harvest unit replanted with Douglas fir and western red cedar.