News from the Noteworthy by Sustainable Otsego

Life of the Land: Trout Do Grow on Trees

Readers of this column may have noticed in local fields and pastures a new crop of light green plastic tubes about three feet tall. This non-native “invasive species” is called a tree tube, or tree shelter, and is an important tool in the creation of riparian buffers.

Riparian buffers are among the best management practices we mentioned in our October column about regenerative agriculture. The word “riparian” refers to areas alongside streams, rivers or other bodies of water. The “buffer” is a planting of trees, shrubs or other perennial vegetation. The purpose of this practice is to protect and enhance the waterway, and improve the land by reducing erosion and run-off. Unlike manmade counterparts, riparian buffers work in tandem with their natural environment, eventually blending in with their local ecosystem without the long-term maintenance and reconstruction required by artificial counterparts.