· According to the 2022 State of the Birds Report, grassland bird populations have declined more than any other terrestrial biome since 1970.

· The OSGF property as a whole is particularly suited to support rare and declining grassland birds and many of our management strategies are designed to support these threatened bird species.

· Timing and frequency of mowing and haying are critical management factors that determine nesting success as grassland birds (such as meadowlarks, bobolinks, grasshopper sparrows, red-winged blackbirds) nest directly on the ground in the fields.

· Our goal is to encourage more of these birds by creating more shrubland, thickets, and early successional habitat, which currently is found in relatively small amounts across the property.

· Native meadow installation, reforestation, prescribed burning, and encouraging small areas of shrub thickets and edge habitat are all helpful strategies to promote these species.

· American kestrels and barn owls require vast areas of open grassland to hunt for their food, but also require woody structures, such as tree hollows, snags, or nest boxes to rear their young.

· We have established 17 Kestrel boxes across the property and two barn owl boxes. Cameras have been placed in several of the boxes and they are regularly monitored to assess breeding success and population size.

· We have added snags to the landscape to support these and other species.

· Insects inhabit every niche and habitat and we are working to support and document native insect communities. By creating a mosaic of diverse habitats and structure across the property we can support a wider diversity of insects.

· We have adopted several specific strategies, such as planting native flowering plants to support pollinators, leaving snags and dead wood to support wood-boring beetles and others that nest in wood, and leaving some meadows fallow throughout the winter.

· Supporting, documenting and restoring native plant communities is another priority at OSGF. Through regular monitoring and developing scientifically sound vegetation survey protocols, we are working on documenting the floral diversity at Oak Spring and measuring vegetation community responses to different land management strategies over time.

· We are working to promote and propagate some of the unique native species already growing on the property as well as working on ecological restoration to convert ecologically degraded areas to more functional native ecosystems.

· OSGF has a healthy and diverse mammal population. We have been placing trail cameras across the property to document species diversity and abundance.

· While our goal is to promote mammals by providing wildlife corridors and structural habitat for food and protection, we are actively working to manage and reduce the white-tailed deer population. Our population estimates indicate an overabundance of deer which has negative impacts on native plant communities, forest regeneration, and landscape plantings.