Mud Pond Forest

The hardwood forest at Mud Pond: Teenage trees under stress

Outside of its cedar swamp, most of Mud Pond Forest is made up of northern hardwood trees —such as maple, beech, and birch.

Like most of Vermont’s woods these trees are all a similar age, about 60-100 years old. In “tree years,” they might be called teenagers. The uniformity of Vermont’s woodland is a result of most forests being cut down during the 19th century.

This creates challenges. Without the diversity you’d find in a truly natural forest, Vermont’s woods are less able to withstand natural disasters, pests, and diseases—all of which are on the rise with climate change.

Creating a more diverse and healthier forest by mimicking nature

We are using timber harvests at Mud Pond Forest as an opportunity to make the woods more diverse and a bit messier.

This includes creating clearings that bring sunlight to the forest floor and encourage the growth of sun-loving trees like yellow birch. Non-dominant species such as red spruce and basswood are being planted.

Some of the oldest and healthiest trees are being left to live out their full lives. We are also leaving dead trees (both standing and fallen) because they create wildlife habitat and help the forest regenerate.

All this makes the woods more diverse. This way, if something brings harm to the forest, such as an invasive insect or a severe storm, only some trees should be affected, not all.

Healthy forests support a healthy forest economy

Money made from timber harvests helps keep forestland undeveloped since it can offset the cost of owning the land. Managed woods also support loggers, foresters, mills, firewood businesses, and others who rely on the woods for their livelihood.

Logger Warren Hill has been working with us at Mud Pond for a decade. At our most recent harvest three generations of the family (all named Warren Hill!) helped out. Trees from the most recent harvest at Mud Pond Forest were sold to local firewood buyers and a Vermont sawmill.

In this video, Warren Hill III, shares some observations about his work as a logger.

Timber harvesting that promotes better habitat and carbon storage

We are using forest management to benefit wildlife, especially forest birds. In fact, our timber harvests are being done in partnership with Audubon Vermont as part of their Foresters for the Birds program.

One example of this work is leaving treetops on the forest floor. It might look messy to us, but the tangle of branches provides safe shelter and breeding areas for many woodland birds.

This forest is a laboratory and an outdoor classroom for studying climate change

The woods host University of Vermont researchers who are studying the impacts of climate change on forest management at places in Vermont and New Hampshire.

The study will monitor how different types of forests respond to different types of human intervention—including no intervention at all.

In this video on Vermont forests and climate change, Professor Tony D’Amato provides a masterclass on the coming threats and explains some of the approaches he and his team of researchers and students are testing.

With the threat to ash trees, we decided less is more

The Emerald Ash Borer arrived in Vermont in 2018. Since then, we have focused our attention on how to save these beautiful trees from the invasive insect. The larvae of this green beetle have killed hundreds of millions of ash trees across the country. There is no known solution.

At Mud Pond Forest we have chosen three approaches to try to save ash trees:

• We are leaving healthy ash trees standing. More trees means more genetic diversity. The hope is that some trees will have genetic resistance to the insect.
• We are harvesting to create conditions that will help new ash trees take root and grow. Because the insect doesn’t target very young trees, we hope the new ash trees that emerge from our efforts will survive the first onslaught of the beetle. After which, we hope there will be more knowledge about what to do.
• We will use insecticide treatments to protect some ash trees from the beetle, especially female ash trees, as their seeds are the hope for the future.