Nurse Logs

Here’s another new (to us) phrase: the nurse log. A nurse log or nurse stump is a fallen, decaying tree that supports seedlings, moss, mushrooms and other small plants. The Rose City Bluff has a number of fallen trees and the recent weather has added a few more. We hate to lose trees but love that even when fallen they provide for new growth. When Rose City Bluff Restoration volunteers receive piles of wood chips we often take a few logs as well. These are then placed on the bluff to serve as nurse logs. The coarse woody debris, plant litter, and nurse logs distinguish areas like the bluff from manicured park settings.