When Mike Federice reached out to AdkAction about collaborating on a pollinator planting project within an active forest management area, specifically at a log landing, there was not much convincing needed.

As Adirondack Forest Property Manager at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) Ranger School, Mike is always looking for opportunities to test new ideas and learn from the results. As he puts it, “We like to try new things, and if they work then more people are willing to put what we learned into practice.”

That mindset also describes AdkAction’s approach to addressing challenges facing Adirondack communities and ecosystems. We believe lasting change starts with local partnerships, creative problem-solving, and projects that others can learn from and replicate.

So what is a log landing? These small clearings are created during forestry operations to stage timber temporarily before being transported and sold. These areas are often heavily disturbed, characterized by compacted soils from weighty machinery and blanketed with layers of bark, woodchips, and leftover debris from harvesting operations.

In the Adirondack Park, forestry remains one of the leading economic drivers and one of the region’s longstanding renewable industries. Over the last century, forest management practices have evolved considerably, shaped by both hard lessons and growing knowledge around conservation and sustainability. Institutions like the SUNY ESF Ranger School have played an important role in advancing those practices forward as well as training future forestry professionals in responsible land stewardship.

And still, there is always room to ask new questions and improve.

That is what sparked this collaboration between SUNY ESF Ranger School and AdkAction: a shared curiosity about whether log landings, areas typically left to slowly regenerate on their own, could instead become intentional habitat to support native pollinators.

This hypothesis is what led an AdkAction staff and board team hailing from points across the Adirondacks to converge in Wanakena, home to the SUNY ESF Ranger School campus (2,800 acre managed forest for hands-on-learning), carrying metal rakes, a sack of our AdkAction-selected Adirondack Pollinator Seed Mix, and a healthy dose of curiosity for the hands-on experiment ahead. Also head nets, because black fly season is upon us.

In preparation for broadcasting the seeds, the Adirondack pollinator seed mix was blended with sand to help distribute the lightweight seeds more evenly, along with annual oats to act as a “nurse crop.” Nurse crops establish quickly and help protect slower-growing native perennials from erosion and harsh conditions without permanently competing with them.

To better understand how different site conditions and preparation methods might affect plant establishment in log landings, the team seeded three separate plots:

• Intervention plot: A 100-by-100-foot area heavily covered in woodchips and debris. Here, the team raked away surface material until enough soil was exposed to support planting.
• No-intervention plot (same log landing): Adjacent to the intervention area, this 100-by-75-foot plot was sandy and rocky. The team spread seed directly to the ground without any soil preparation.
• No-intervention plot (second log landing): Located at a separate log landing with similarly sandy conditions, this plot was also seeded without raking or disturbance.

In a region where timber harvesting remains a major part of the economy and landscape, this project also raises potential questions about broader application. If the plantings prove successful, pollinator habitat could become another option for landowners and forest managers interested in enhancing biodiversity on actively managed forestlands. Areas like log landings, which are already part of the harvesting process, may present opportunities to support native pollinators without changing the primary use of the land.

At their core, both SUNY ESF Ranger School and AdkAction share a willingness to test new ideas in the real world. While this project is small in scale, it reflects an approach both organizations value: trying practical solutions, learning from the results, and sharing what works so others can build on it.

For AdkAction, projects like this are an important part of our work. Short-term pilot projects allow us to respond quickly to opportunities, test creative ideas, and explore what’s possible alongside community partners. Some projects remain small but successful on their own. Others become proof of concept for broader adoption and long-term impact.

We look forward to working alongside SUNY ESF and the Ranger School throughout the growing season to learn from this project together and share those lessons with others interested in supporting pollinators on working lands.

Keep up with this project’s progress at our Log Landings Pollinator Habitat project page.