Old-Growth Forests are rare in New Hampshire, the second most heavily forested state in the nation. Less than one percent of New Hampshire forests are considered old-growth, while their value for ecosystem services including carbon storage and biodiversity is great. This presentation will describe how you can recognize the unique characteristics of such a forest, important ecological attributes, and the wildlife that favor such forests.

We will take a visual tour of some of New Hampshire’s finest old-growth forests from around the state. We will discuss the importance of these forests as carbon reserves to help cool the planet and as places where nature is a source of inspiration. We will meet some of the residents of such forests like the Blackburnian Warbler, flying squirrel, and American marten who prefer this type of forest habitat. We need both sustainably managed forests and ancient forests where trees can reach their maximum biological age. I will make the case that both kinds of forests are working forests.

Register for this free webinar through Zoom.

This webinar is part of the year-long Exploring Connections to and Stewardship of the Natural World talks. This series is supported by a grant through the NH Humanities Council and aims to provide a public and personal space for the examination of environmental ethics, fostering a deeper understanding of, appreciation for, and care of, our natural world. Programs are free to the public, and streamed via Zoom, YouTube, and Facebook Live.

For more information and to see the entire slate of talks, visit our series webpage.

Speaker Bio:

David Govatski is a retired forester and silviculturist and was employed by the US Forest Service for 33 years. He has visited and studied old-growth forests in all parts of North America. He has a particular affinity for Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. David was co-author of Forests for the People: The Story of the Eastern National Forests and numerous articles on forest history. David works as a Naturalist and lives with his wife in Jefferson, NH.