Fresh From the Woods Archive

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Fresh From the Woods… 2010-2020

• Threats, Challenges Facing Maine’s ForestsApril 10, 2020
  Forests have always faced threats. From natural disturbances like hurricanes and wildfires to native pests…
• Trees and Winter…..March 10, 2020
  Warming temperatures, less snowfall  pose new challenges for northeastern species Winter can be a challenge….
• Pinning down Maine’s future forestNovember 20, 2019
  By Joe RankinForests for Maine’s Future writer Forests aren’t static. They’re dynamic. Since trees colonized…
• Fall Foliage Brings the Green to MaineNovember 6, 2019
  By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future Writer   Autumn, or at least the fall…
• White Pines Hit by Needle Disease Year After YearOctober 1, 2019
  By JOE RANKIN Forests for Maine’s Future Writer  Something’s not right. That’s what my MacBook…
• Planting yourself in the forest “Green” burials are a growing thingAugust 21, 2019
  Have you ever noticed how many cemeteries have the word forest in their name? Forest…
• The American elm: Past, present . . . future?June 27, 2019
  Years ago I planted an American elm in my yard. I was creating what my…
• Make a Home for Wildlife with the Help of Author Charles FergusMay 29, 2019
  Charles Fergus loves nothing better than to rev up his walk-behind DR brush hog and…
• Ferns: Beauty and Grace in the UnderstoryApril 26, 2019
   “Outdoors” people, even those that don’t consider themselves naturalists, can identify trees, at the least…
• Deer yards: Shelter from the stormApril 8, 2019
  It’s not easy being a whitetail deer in Maine in the winter, especially northern Maine….
• Aging Sentinels: the roadside maples of MaineMarch 6, 2019
  Travel the rural roads in this part of the country and you’ll see them along…
• Old-Growth Forests: Back to the Future?January 29, 2019
  There’s no question that old growth forests are fairly uncommon, especially in the eastern parts…
• Whatever Happened to Acid Rain?December 4, 2018
  Human-caused climate change is THE environmental issue of our times. Alarming reports point out that…
• Moosehead Lake RegionOctober 26, 2018
  The Moosehead Lake area has been a destination for a long time. Native Americans came…
• Forest Management in the big citySeptember 26, 2018
  A thinned white pine stand photo courtesy of City of PortlandTwo years ago, logging crews…
• The Nature Conservancy makes a bet on carbonAugust 23, 2018
  Lumber, as any tree and forest lover can tell you, isn’t the only valuable thing…
• Is Southern Pine Beetle in Maine’s FutureJuly 26, 2018
  By Joe Rankin, Forests for Maine’s Future Writer Editors Note: This story was originally published…
• Exemplary Forestry: A New Paradigm for the Northeast’s Woodlands?May 22, 2018
  Robert Perschel has worked in forestry for a long time. As an industrial forester, a…
• CLT: The Great Wood HopeApril 25, 2018
  People have been gluing up wood for thousands of years. Prehistoric peoples bonded spear points…
• Timber Framing: Ancient Art for a New AgeMarch 27, 2018
  Back in the day, John Sweet Jr. was an ironworker who helped build paper mills….
• Maine Wood Manufacturers are still an Important Part of the EconomyFebruary 27, 2018
  They produce gun stocks, flooring, cedar shingles, log homes, wooden playsets. They make cigar tips,…
• Invasive Plants in MaineJanuary 23, 2018
  There are a lot of threats to Maine forests — fragmentation, poor forestry practices, development,…
• Forest Fires in Maine: History and OutlookDecember 14, 2017
  This was the year the West burned. The numbers are mind-boggling: By the end of…
• Maine Heritage Timber: Retrieving Old Growth Wood from a LakeNovember 20, 2017
  Tom Shafer’s business is mining trees. It’s not really harvesting; maybe re-harvesting. “Recovering a forgotten…
• The Forest Understory: Diverse. Dynamic. DifficultOctober 27, 2017
  Wild sarsaparilla is not a flashy forest dweller. It doesn’t soar overhead, or have showy…
• Alan Hutchinson: A Legacy of Forest LandscapeSeptember 25, 2017
  Alan Hutchinson was always thinking. Thinking about ways to approach things differently, to bring people…
• SFI Project Volunteers Build Two Playhouses for 2017 Make-A-Wish Foundation RecipientsAugust 24, 2017
  The Maine forest industry’s Sustainable Forestry Initiative has helped out on a lot of community…
• North Maine Woods: Managing recreation on a sizable chunk of MaineJuly 25, 2017
  Photo courtesy of North Maine WoodsThere is the north Maine woods:  the vast expanse of…
• Succession: How a forest recreates itselfJune 26, 2017
  By Joe Rankin A forest, like all living things, is constantly changing. Sometimes the changes…
• Up and Down: Layers of the ForestMay 11, 2017
  The forest — any forest, really — doesn’t just stretch out across the land like…
• The Eastern U.S.: Just Gotta Be a Forest?March 23, 2017
  By Joe Rankin Predominantly forested has been the steady state of Maine’s landscape for the…
• Aldo Leopold Week is Celebrated the First Week in MarchFebruary 22, 2017
  The party was eating lunch on a high rimrock when they saw the mother wolf…
• Winter: A Time to get to know your Forest Neighbors by their TracksJanuary 23, 2017
  There’s something about the winter woods — the profound silence, the sheer whiteness. Snow whispering…
• “Old Growth” Forests Defined by Key Ecological CharacteristicsDecember 20, 2016
  By JOE RANKIN   There is something about big trees that stirs up a feeling…
• Maine’s Most Common Tree, a Favorite of Deer and PestsNovember 22, 2016
  By JOE RANKIN Forests for Maine’s Future writer   Quickly now. This is a quiz….
• For This Wood Pellet Manufacturer, Small is BeautifulOctober 21, 2016
  Erik Carlson remembers exactly where he was when he got the idea of getting into…
• Budworm CommunicationsSeptember 21, 2016
  It’s safe to say that things have changed since the 1970s and 1980s, when the…
• Climate Change, Drought, and the Northern ForestAugust 17, 2016
  By Joe Rankin, published August 2016 Much of the southern half of Maine is dry….
• Spruce Budworm Population Tracked by Landowners Across Northeast Pheremone Traps Help to Gather DataJuly 19, 2016
  Brett Mitchell has a vested interest in keeping tabs on the population of spruce budworm…
• What is a healthy forest?June 17, 2016
  By JOE RANKIN You’re in a store, say, and you look around you at the…
• Students and Others Prepare for the Next Spruce Budworm OutbreakMay 20, 2016
  By Joe RankinForests for Maine’s Future Writer It’s not every educator who sees a teaching…
• Forestry for the birdsMarch 27, 2015
  By JOE RANKIN, Forests for Maine’s Future Writer In 1962 Rachel Carson’s classic enviro-expose Silent…
• Mechanical harvesting — The future is hereFebruary 23, 2015
  By JOE RANKIN Forests for Maine’s Future Writer You could tell where George Merrill was…
• The white pine, enduring symbol of the Maine woodsDecember 22, 2014
  By JOE RANKIN Forests for Maine’s Future Writer What’s not to like about the eastern…
• Bright spots in Maine’s forest products industryNovember 24, 2014
  New mills, investments and products help offset losses in some sectors By JOE RANKIN Forests…
• Southern Maine’s Future ForestOctober 27, 2014
  Factors at play today will help create the woods of the 22nd century By JOE…
• Urban Forests — More Important Now Than EverAugust 26, 2014
  By JOE RANKIN Forests for Maine’s Future writer It’s perhaps fitting that the largest city…
• Maine is a leader in conservation easementsJuly 28, 2014
    By JOE RANKIN Forests for Maine’s Future Writer On the west side of the…
• Aliens in the Maine woodsJune 18, 2014
  Terrestrial invasive plants can wreak havoc with forests By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future…
• Helping map the future of MaineMay 23, 2014
  By JOE RANKIN Forests for Maine’s Future Writer At one time or another we’ve all…
• The Long View: Three studies of the Maine forestApril 26, 2014
  By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future writer In a spruce-fir forest north of Bangor…
• University Forests: Research, education and incomeMarch 20, 2014
  By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future writer With not quite 14,000 acres, the University…
• Educating educators about the Maine woodsFebruary 24, 2014
  Teachers’ Tours provide a close up view of the forest and the forest economy  …
• Maine Moose: How are they doing?January 24, 2014
  By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future writer Most visitors to Maine probably have a…
• CFRU: Real world forestry researchDecember 18, 2013
  By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future writer The research topics are varied. From what…
• Emerald ash borer: a voracious pest nears MaineNovember 21, 2013
  By Joe Ranki, Forests for Maine’s Future writer  November 2013 When the emerald ash borer…
• Maine’s Forest Economy: a new reportOctober 26, 2013
    By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future writer Stand on almost any hill in…
• Carbon offsets: A new forest ‘product’?September 25, 2013
  By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future writer Over the centuries the only way to…
• The Maine Forest Products CouncilAugust 21, 2013
  Educating lawmakers and public about one of Maine’s biggest industries   When the Maine Legislature…
• Bringing back the giantsJuly 25, 2013
  The effort to restore the American chestnut tree to Maine’s forest   By Joe Rankin…
• Trail cameras give you a new window on the woodsJune 26, 2013
  By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future Writer Everyone who walks in the Maine woods…
• Maine Land Trust Network: It’s all about connectionMay 23, 2013
  By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future Writer A few years ago the Greater Lovell…
• The St. John Forest experimentApril 27, 2013
  The Nature Conservancy blends conservation, logging in northern Maine  The Nature Conservancy owns a lot of…
• The Forest Society of MaineMarch 25, 2013
  Protecting Maine’s forest landscape through conservation easements   By Joe RankinForests for Maine’s Future Writer …
• Good reviews for online forestry programFebruary 24, 2013
  Woodland Steward Program’s creators ponder how to boost enrollment By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s…
• Spruce budworm: Coming again soon?January 26, 2013
    By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future Writer  It was a hot July day…
• Nature photography: A new way of seeing the woodsDecember 17, 2012
    By Joe RankinForests for Maine’s Future Writer Pam Wells has patience.When she’s in search…
• The Future of Forest Products in Maine TourNovember 28, 2012
  New composites, nanocellulose coatings, liquid fuels are on the horizon By Joe Rankin Forests for…
• Maine’s forests: past, present and future . . .October 24, 2012
  A talk with the author of “The Changing Nature of the Maine Woods” Andrew Barton…
• The Woodland Steward ProgramSeptember 19, 2012
  A new online course can help you enjoy and manage your woodland   By Joe…
• The Maine Woods (plural)August 27, 2012
  There are many forest types in the Pine Tree State   By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future…
• The fascinating process of tree decayJuly 28, 2012
    By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future writer   For trees, the forest is…
• There’s an app for that: can technology reconnect us to nature?June 27, 2012
      By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future Writer   In the video the…
• Sappi Westbrook: Papermaking on the fashion frontierMay 24, 2012
  A venerable paper mill is the world leader in release papers   By Joe Rankin Forests…
• Maine’s public lands: recreation, wildlife habitat, timberApril 26, 2012
  These parcels aren’t as well known as the state’s parks, but that’s changing By Joe Rankin…
• Learning about the woods: places to go, things to see . . .March 27, 2012
    By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future Writer   Cathy Goslin vividly remembers a…
• Where the wood flows . . . and whyFebruary 26, 2012
    By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future writer   You’re driving down a Maine…
• Land conservation: still going strongJanuary 25, 2012
  Despite the down economy, landowners and the public are still eager to ensure the future of Maine’s…
• The modern sawmill: a high tech marvelDecember 21, 2011
  By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future Writer Watching the edger-optimizer at Robbins Lumber Co.’s…
• Forest products: it’s not all about logsNovember 23, 2011
  By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future Writer As a young boy in the 1940s…
• Once and Future Uses of WoodOctober 27, 2011
  By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future Writer In the mid-’60s Eric Sloane wrote “A…
• Aging forest owners: What will become of their woods?September 27, 2011
  By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future Writer Jim walked slowly up the path, as he…
• A forest stewardship state of mindAugust 25, 2011
  Allen Higgins and Josiah Pierce talk about caring for the land   By JOE RANKIN Forests…
• Penobscot Experimental Forest: Six decades of scienceJuly 27, 2011
  July 2011 By Joe RankinForests for Maine’s Future Writer On a recent summer day, while…
• Exotic forest pests: the danger is realJune 30, 2011
  Fresh from the Woods By Joe Rankin Forests for Maine’s Future Writer   June 2011…
• Bernd Heinrich: Writer, academic, Maine forestland ownerMay 31, 2011
  Fresh from the Woods Bernd Heinrich: Writer, academic, Maine forestland owner May 2011 It’s easy…
• The Underground ForestApril 30, 2011
  Fresh from the Woods The Underground Forest  April 2011 By Joe Rankin Walking in the forest…
• The Forest BookshelfMarch 31, 2011
  The Forest BookshelfMarch 2011 By Joe Rankin Today Henry David Thoreau is best remembered for…
• Sweet time for Maine’s syrup producersFebruary 11, 2011
  February 2011 By Joe Rankin Mention maple syrup season and the image that leaps to…
• Community Forests: an old idea that’s new againJanuary 31, 2011
  Forest scene on Branch Lake land in Ellsworth. Photo courtesy of Jerry and Marcy Monkman, Ecophotography.org…
• Trails from the 21st CenturyDecember 31, 2010
  Fresh from the Woods Trails for the 21st century December 2010  By JOE RANKIN   It’s a…
• Seeing the People Behind the TreesOctober 24, 2010
  Fresh from the Woods Seeing the people behind the trees By JOE RANKIN A few…
• Prentiss & Carlisle: a proud history of forest stewardshipOctober 22, 2010
  Fresh from the Woods Prentiss & Carlisle president Donald White, left, Gov. John Baldacci, and…
• Maine Seeks $25 million for ConservationOctober 20, 2010
  Fresh from the Woods North Maine woods Maine seeks $25 million for conservation By Joe…
• Keeping Maine’s Forests IIOctober 19, 2010
  Fresh from the Woods Sustainably harvested logs are loaded in the Scientific Forest Management Area…
• BiomassOctober 18, 2010
  Fresh from the Woods Producing energy from woodland ‘biomass’ could — over time — add…
• Keeping Maine’s Forests IOctober 17, 2010
  Fresh from the Woods Sunrise at Haymock Lake in northern Maine. (Photos by Andrew Kekacs)…
• The Nimble ForestOctober 16, 2010
  Fresh from the Woods   A shaft of sunlight pierces a stand of red spruce growing…
• The Forested LandscapeOctober 15, 2010
  Fresh from the Woods Author Tom Wessels stands on a pile of stones in Brooks…
• North Maine WoodsOctober 13, 2010
  Fresh from the Woods A group of hikers nears the summit of White Cap Mountain…