by Kai Davis

Reforest the Bluegrass (RFB) is a local socio-environmental initiative that aims to expand Lexington’s urban forest and protect local waterways by planting native trees. This initiative has been beneficial for the awareness of environmental health in and around the city and in building support from the public. There are clear benefits for the city and the people within, however, there is minimal insight on the impact on wildlife or the full benefit that this reforestation initiative could potentially provide. 

Urbanization is a global issue that is reducing wildlife habitat, and because of this, wildlife species are utilizing urban areas for habitat, safety, and sustenance. Birds are one such class of animals that are common throughout cities and may be affected. Habitat quality for resident and migratory birds is highly dependent on habitat patch size, human disturbance, and landscape context. My project explores how more than two decades of this reforestation effort around Lexington has benefited birds in this urbanized landscape. In late 2021 and early 2022, we successfully deployed 18 automated recorder units in RFB plots that nearly spanned the chronological range of reforestation plantings, and we are sampling two older, urban forest blocks as controls. My project can provide insight into how RFB is impacting and potentially benefiting avian species in Lexington, as well as plant seeds for future reforestation efforts.
 

Learn more about the Forest and Natural Resource Sciences Graduate Program at the University of Kentucky.