SUMNERITES MUSEUM AND COMMUNITY CENTER

PARKERSBURG, WV

Young, Shrubby Forest A young, shrubby forest that was established through a timber harvest.

This type of habitat has gone by many names over the past decades, including early-successional habitat, young forest, regenerating forest, shrubland, and more. No matter what name you know it by, this habitat has a few key features. First, the trees are young, small, and short. Second, the short vegetation is really dense and filled with herbaceous plants, shrubs, and saplings.

This state of a forest dominated by young trees is fleeting. As the trees get older, the young forest transitions to another type of ecosystem state that looks and acts differently, and supports different plants and animals.

Patches of young forests were historically created by weather events like tornados or windstorms, beaver activity, higher-intensity fires, land clearing by Indigenous peoples, and other types of forces. In more recent times, weather events, timber harvests, and the abandonment of agricultural fields have been responsible for creating this ephemeral ecosystem state. 

But there’s been a change in the past 50 years. Patches of young forest have been disappearing across Ohio and throughout the eastern United States. And as this habitat disappears, so too do the animals—like the prairie warbler—that rely on it. Patches of young forests have to be created by some kind of event. Every patch will eventually “age out,” and so for there to continually be enough available for animals to use, there have to continually be forces that create it. And in the past several decades, there haven’t been a lot of forces creating new patches.

To help bolster the declining populations of animals that rely on and use young forests, land stewards across the eastern United States have been creating more patches of it. These patches can be created in a variety of ways. Grass lawns and farm fields can be “let go” and have trees colonize on their own. Old, shrubby fields can be regularly cut back every several years. Patches of trees in a forest over 30 years old can be cut and removed. Such efforts by land stewards—coupled with weather events and other forces—can all help bolster the amount of young forest available across the landscape. And to borrow a famous phrase, “if you build it, they will come.”


Forest Service photo by Kyle Brooks
Young, Shrubby Forest Credit: Wayne National Forest

The Sumnerites Museum and Community Center is a historical landmark located in Parkersburg, WV. The museum is dedicated to preserving the history and culture of the African American community in the area. The center was established in 1999 and is named after the Sumner family, who were prominent members of the community and played a significant role in the civil rights movement.

The museum houses a vast collection of artifacts, documents, and photographs that tell the story of the African American community in Parkersburg. Visitors can learn about the struggles and triumphs of the community, including the challenges of segregation and the civil rights movement.

The Sumnerites Museum and Community Center also serves as a community hub, hosting events and activities that promote education and cultural awareness. The center offers programs for children, youth, and adults, including workshops, seminars, and cultural celebrations.

The building itself is a historic structure, built in 1914 as the Sumner School, one of the first schools for African American children in the area. The building was restored in 1999 and now serves as a testament to the perseverance and resilience of the African American community in Parkersburg.

Overall, the Sumnerites Museum and Community Center is an important institution that celebrates the rich history and culture of the African American community in Parkersburg, WV.

SUMNERITES MUSEUM AND COMMUNITY CENTER is a Uncategorized or General Museum in PARKERSBURG WV. US MID #8405400010

The museum is classed as GMU (Uncategorized or General Museums). It comes under American Alliance of Museums (AAM) region: Southeastern (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia).

Contact SUMNERITES MUSEUM AND COMMUNITY CENTER

SUMNERITES MUSEUM AND COMMUNITY CENTER
1016 AVERY ST
PARKERSBURG
WV
26101

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SUMNERITES MUSEUM AND COMMUNITY CENTER Information

MID # 8405400010
Name SUMNERITES MUSEUM AND COMMUNITY CENTER
Alternate Name
Classification Uncategorized or General Museums, , Southeastern
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)
NTEECC
Tax period of the latest return filed (YYYYMM)
INCOME 0
REVENUE 0
LAT/LONG 39.269103, -81.553379
CODES FIPS State Code: 54
FIPS County Code: 107
US Census Tract: 000701
US Census Block: 1025