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Anytime I can get out in the woods with foresters, I learn something new. Reading about forest stewardship is one thing; seeing it in action feels totally different. To be able to see how a land trust is implementing climate-smart practices is inspiring. 

That’s why this past Saturday was such a great experience for me and a small group of land stewards who took part in an educational forest tour at Mohegan State Forest in Scotland and Hoffman Evergreen Preserve in North Groton, part of the Avalonia Land Conservancy. Joining me on the tour were representatives of Joshua’s Trust, Wyndham Land Trust, Waterford Land Trust, and the Groton Open Space Association.

At Mohegan State Forest in Scotland, Tom Worthley and Amanda Bunce from CT DEEP and UCONN introduced us to a framework for understanding what adaptive forest management looks like. They walked us through several treatment areas that showcased three adaptive silviculture techniques:

• Resistance, which focused on promoting and maintaining oak and hickory stands. Part of their strategy involved a shelterwood cut, a silviculture technique where a significant portion of mature trees are removed while leaving some mature trees behind to provide shelter and natural regeneration for new seedlings. 
• Resilience, which included several ¼ acre patch cuts to increase age and species diversity while removing mid-story shade trees like black birch and maple.
• Transition, which featured large patch cuts in areas with high oak mortality from spongy moth and replanting with species such as southern oaks that are well-adapted to future climate projections.

A site in Mohegan State Forest where UConn completed a resistance shelterwood treatment to retain some of the older mature trees and healthiest younger trees for succession. In another twenty years or so they will likely remove more of the older trees that comprise the overstory of the forest canopy to increase space and light for the younger generation.

After a quick lunch, the tour headed south to Hoffman Evergreen Preserve, one of Avalonia Land Conservancy’s properties, in North Stonington. There, Beth Sullivan and Juliana Barrett from Avalonia showed us how the land trust approached adaptive forest management at a property especially beloved by the community.

The Hoffman Preserve is a popular preserve, frequented by local hikers, trail runners, birders, and neighbors. Hoffman Preserve faced the all too familiar issue of an ailing forest, stressed by weather, pests including the Hemlock woolly adelgid, and drought from a changing climate. Avalonia consulted with foresters, completed a bird assessment with the Audubon Society and the CT Agricultural Experiment Station, and determined that the best way forward was to cut and remove many of the trees in order to create several openings in the forest. This decision came with considerable public pushback as it closed the preserve for several months and looked catastrophic at first. 

Beth from Avalonia Land Conservancy demonstrating a hemlock with Wooly adelgid where they are testing a beetle release with the CT Agriculture Experiment Station while David McCarthy of Joshua’s Trust looks on.

Avalonia embarked on a process of public outreach and education that included a letter-writing campaign, outreach to journalists who wrote about the stewardship plan, and commentary in local news media. The Land Conservancy also proactively involved community members and students in planting and restoration efforts. In addition, Avalonia produced excellent signage to educate people about their ongoing stewardship work. Beth wrote about her perspective and  experience in the Connecticut Forest and Park Association’s Connecticut Woodlands publication.  

Now, several years on, the results are spectacular. The woods are teeming with bird and plant life. Avalonia is one of several land trusts engaged in climate-smart stewardship across the state. I would love to see more land trusts engaged in proactive stewardship of their forests. Stay tuned as CLCC seeks funding for our Climate-Smart Land Stewardship grant program that would create new opportunities for land trusts to secure funding for planning and implementation projects.

One of the skid trails in Hoffman Preserve that gives a view to the sides of what the unhealthy forest looked like before Avalonia embarked on an effort to remove ailing hemlock.