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January 2020: Forest Buffers and Persimmon Treats!

Hello there, newsletter readers! Ever heard of riparian forest buffers? Well, now you have!
 
Riparian forest buffer is a fancy way of saying tree plantings along or close to a stream bank. There are many uses for such a practice; including bank stabilization, flood water reduction, soil erosion reduction, and creating a food source for in-stream insects. The belief behind riparian buffers is that as the trees and shrubs complete their life cycle, they will slowly change and develop the stream in a more natural process.

Through tree falls or stream bank shrubs, water will force itself around or under any impairment. This will cause new riffles (shallow, fast-moving water over small to medium rocks) and pools (deep, slow-moving water with a sandier bottom) to develop. When these structures form, floodwater energy gets dispersed over the many new large obstacles. Additionally, the trees and shrubs will soak up a lot of water even before it reaches the stream and dampen the amount of water charging downstream, ultimately dissuading flooding from occurring.


At Restore Our Roots, our intention is to bring this practice into the focus of the community, that is, re-building the forest buffer in Kerr Park in addition to strengthening the one already there.  It will be a powerful demonstration of the need and benefits of riparian forest buffers as well as emphasizing the additional benefits to out-of-water wildlife as well!

We strongly recommend native trees and shrubs to be planted in general. They are especially beneficial as part of a riparian buffer. Between the leaves becoming a food source for stream insects to the flowers blooming at critical pollination windows, native plants are a huge win for their environmental impact.  

If you would like to know more about riparian buffers, please check out Chesapeake Bay Program’s website at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/issues/forest_buffers or contact us at restoreourroots@gmail.com
 
Small headwater streams in Pennsylvania should have an adjacent forest to help keep it healthy from pollution. This is also true for the Brandywine River.

BACK TO OUR ROOTS: Persimmon Cookies

Knowing that the wintertime is often a time of stagnation for all the cool garden activities – we here at Restore Our Roots thought it could be a cool thing to introduce you to recipes involving native ingredients that you can find in your local supermarket or find out in the wild! 

Trying to line up in when ingredients are in season, we stumbled upon this awesome recipe for persimmon cookies, And BOY are they as good as they are easy to make! If persimmons aren’t your thing you can replace the persimmons with a 15oz can of pumpkin.


INGREDIENTS

~For the Cookie~

2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking soda
½ teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
½ teaspoon Cloves
½ teaspoon Nutmeg
½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup Granulated sugar
1 cup Persimmon pulp (2-3 persimmons)
1 Large egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

~For the Orange Glaze~

2 cups Confectioner’s sugar
¼ cup Fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon Orange zest
 
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in persimmon pulp, egg, and vanilla. Slowly add in the flour mixture until everything is combined.
  4. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for approximately 12-14 minutes or until cookies are brown around the edges and set. Let cool on baking sheets for five minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
  5. To make the orange glaze, in a medium bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, orange juice, and zest together. Whisk until smooth. Dip the cookie tops into the glaze and twirl the cookie. Set cookies back on a wire rack for glaze to harden.
ENJOY! 
Yes, Persimmons are local to our area, and although a bit smaller than those outside the U.S., they are just as tasty!
Check out the live stakes (above image) we planted in December! With the recent rains, Kerr Park flooded a bit, but our live stakes are doing great. FYI, they are the sticks you see at the forefront of this image.
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