The dedication of the Witmer Woods web pages
Lores Steury has taken care of the
flora of Witmer Woods for 18 years. As an employee of the Goshen College
Physical Plant, Lores Steury tended to Witmer's trees, shrubs, wildflowers,
grasses, and weeds. In his early years, he enjoyed working at Witmer Woods
with Dr. S. W. Witmer, identifying plants and marveling at their beauty.
During May 1997, Lores Steury was asked which Witmer Woods' plant he preferred;
after a thoughtful pause, he replied the Flowering Dogwood, which blooms
from about May 10 - May 25. He also mentioned that the woods is a veritable
berry patch with raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, June berries,
and elderberries maturing throughout the summer.
Recently Goshen College made a change in its policy and
will no longer pay anyone to maintain the wooded area. Lores Steury and
other nature lovers were concerned that the preserve will not be able to
keep its diversity and its educational value if it is not maintained regularly.
In response the Biology Department has organized a volunteer group to care
for the woods. Lores, Merle Jacobs, Victor Stoltzfus, and several biology
students will work with Professor Mary Linton
to ensure that this valuable resource is adequately maintained. This group
will seek to establish an endowment to support adequate maintenance and
development of Witmer Woods.
May 21, 1997 - Cheri Krause
Biology Home Page
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Maintained by: Stan Grove
Updated 4 November '97
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