Videos and Podcasts

Listen to audio podcasts about Antietam National Battlefield!

Podcasts

Limestone Oak – Hickory Forest

Natural Community: Limestone Oak – Hickory Forest

Limestone bedrock weathers into rich soil that supports chinquapin oak, bitternut hickory, and hackberry.

rich floodplain forest

Natural Community: Rich Floodplain Forest

The diverse trees, shrubs, and wildflowers of the Rich Floodplain Forest benefit from nutrients brought in by floods—but they must be able to withstand wet feet!

black walnut tree trunk and leaves

Semi-Natural Community: Successional Black Walnut Forest

This forest full of black walnut trees has grown up on what used to be farmland . . . and a battleground.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on Dogwood

Forest Pollinators

The birds and the bees—in addition to many other animals—help forests survive by pollinating many trees and other plant species. In turn, the forest provides habitat for the pollinators.

succesional forest canopy

Forest Succession

How can you tell if you’re in a successional forest—that is, one that may have been cleared in the past due to agriculture or logging?

Killiansburg Cave karst topography

Karst Topography

The Battle of Antietam took place in an area of karst topography, where limestone bedrock has been eaten away to form hollows, caves, and outcrops.

honey bee on blue aster

Pollinators

How do plants attract the insects and other animals that spread pollen from flower to flower?

a river in a forest

Riparian Buffers And Erosion

Plants along streams and rivers help keep the water clean by holding onto soil and filtering out pollutants.

Acadian flycatcher in the forest

Urban Oasis – Migration Corridors

National parks and other natural areas are welcome pit-stops for migrating animals that need to rest and refuel during their long journey.

Burnside Bridge sycamore in Antietam National Battlefield

Witness Trees

Witness trees are those that were alive during the Civil War. Some may even carry scars from the battles they “witnessed.”