On the Ground: Volunteers Build “Rabbitat” at Bellevue Conservation Club
Volunteers work together to construct a brush pile.
On Saturday, February 3, 2024, MUCC’s On the Ground Program hosted a brush pile-building event in partnership with the Bellevue Conservation Club. Brush piles are called “rabbitat” because they provide habitat for rabbits and many other species, including chipmunks, squirrels, mice, snakes, and ground-nesting birds. Brush piles are also used as hunting grounds for hawks, foxes, and weasels. 15 volunteers gathered for this event and were very hoppy with all they accomplished by the end of the day.
Brush piles are commonly built between two different habitat types, such as an open field and a forest. The day consisted of two activities; volunteers would gather brush from the surrounding forest and load it up onto the trailers, then transport it to the field and unload it. The brush was then, you guessed it, piled up into several mounds spread out approximately 200 feet from each other. Volunteers worked together to unload the heavy logs and pile the brush just right so it would be strong enough to last a long time. In total, volunteers built 7 brush piles and improved 3 acres of habitat.
Thank you to our partner Bellevue Conservation Club for a successful event! This was MUCC’s first partnership with the club and we are excited to co-host more On the Ground events in the future. Thank you to all of our volunteers for their hard work and dedication to improving wildlife habitat. A special thank you to the volunteers who provided equipment for the event (trailers, chainsaws, a tractor, etc.). Without you all this event would not have been possible.
The next On the Ground event will take place on Saturday, February 17, 2024, at Maple River State Game Area. For more information and to keep up with where On the Ground goes next, click HERE.
