A nice day planting tree seeds in a field with a dear comrade. This completes my Winter 2020 seed stratification plantings. About 80 acorns went in modular air prune beds, with probably 100 more going in a section of a field that will no longer be mowed (last mowed last summer). In adjascent sections as seen in an image below, there is an area of hybrid hazelnut and shagbark hickory seed plantings (see images & video from that planting), and an area of black walnut dispersal.
As these areas stopped getting mowed they will begin succession toward forest. With some extra help from existing plant and animal communities, these planted seeds making their way up, and ecosystem management / caring disturbance from above: may this field become a bountiful food forest.
What does productive ecosystem restoration look like to you? What about mutual benefit? I consider these questions as I watch this water and seed this field.
Photos from this workday field planting trees from seed are shown below. As I work out a system for sharing photos and videos, I appreciate feedback on viewing options! Please let me know how the gallery works for you and if you have any suggestions.
Wedge cut in field with nursery shovel to direct sow acorn tree seeds. 
Rooting! 
Leafing out! 
Rooting in media! 
Wedge cut in field with nursery shovel to direct sow acorn tree seeds. 
Baby white pine growing in the field. I hope these acorns will acompany it in a couple of years, growing into adjacent giants in decades to come. 
Field bones 
Hand snail 
Incremental field reforestation sections. Nearest: red oaks; middle: hybrid hazels and shagbark hickories; far: black walnut. 
More field bones 
Equisetum sp. Horsetail. A fern ally 
Equisetum sp. Horsetail. A fern ally 
Chestnut pit-mound lookin’ nice
[…] stages of life. In adjacent sections I’ve broadcasted and planted some black walnut seeds [and later on planted acorns], and I’ll continuing building the seed bank of useful ‘provision’ trees as this […]