The Ridges Cemeteries Nature Walk

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Created in part to connect the three cemeteries together and help restore dignity to those buried there, the Ridges Cemeteries Nature Walk was constructed with two main themes in mind: regeneration and ecological diversity.

It is hard to imagine that in the late 19th Century, this area, along with much of the eastern United States, was almost completely deforested. Land was utilized for growing crops and pasturing livestock, with wood consumed for fuel and other purposes. Changes in farming and industrial technologies throughout the 20th Century together with an increased appreciation for natural habitats has allowed forests to return.

Habitats along this trail were already deforested when the land was purchased by the State for the construction of the state hospital. From the 1870s until the mid 20th Century, the hospital continued to farm the land. By the early 21st Century, young forests along the Nature Walk had begun the journey to becoming mature forests. Follow this path created by local members of NAMI to learn more about regeneration and ecological diversity in our region.

Stages of regeneration: Trees of several species grow here along ridge lines, in gulches, and on hillsides. Perhaps dating to mid-19th Century, they marked boundaries, provided shade for animals, or stability to slopes. Most vegetation along the Nature Walk is younger.

Gradual reforestation of open land is called ecological succession. It normally takes seventy-five to a hundred years and undergoes stages. In early stages, vines, brush, and early successional trees such as sassafras, black locust, redbud, and paw paw prosper alongside saplings of later growth species such as oak, hickory, maple, cherry, and beech.

Eventually, a hardwood forest emerges with little undergrowth. Later stage forests reveal thick wild grape vines emerging from more open spaces on the forest floor to entangle old growth hardwood trees. Vines that climbed early successional trees eventually wound their way onto the saplings that became current hosts.

*Note that some of the images in this tour may take a while to load, but they are worth the wait!

The following images of the tour were provided by artists from the Athens Photographic Project. For more information on the Athens Photographic Project, visit  https://athensphotoproject.org/ .

*Note that some of the images in the galleries may take a while to load, but they are worth the wait!