The "Fall Old Forest Film Series", co-sponsored by a group of Connecticut organizations as part of America's 250th anniversary celebration, is continuing, featuring the second of four New England Forests films.
The first event of the series, a screening of "The Lost Forests of New England", was held in September. This second installment will be a presentation of "The Return of Old Growth Forests".
Less than 1% of New England forest land is old growth. A high percentage of central New England land is cloaked in second-growth forest that is recovering from the massive land clearing of former agricultural years. A significant amount of such second-growth, which is at most 150 or so years old, should be set aside to eventually become old-growth once again, allowing it to regain greater biodiversity, an improved gene pool, and therefore enhanced resilience and adaptability (not to mention natural beauty). For a more detailed discussion, see this earlier blog article.
In
this one-hour film, we will learn how to recognize some of the
characteristics of our remnant, northeastern old-growth forests, with
scenes from several of our most beautiful.
Environmental scientist Margery Winters explains “morticulture”, the role that dead, hollow, and fallen trees play in forest ecology.
Ed Faison, Senior Ecologist at Highstead Foundation, discusses nature-managed vs actively-managed (ie, logged) forests.
And atmospheric physicist Anastassia Makarieva introduces us to the "Biotic Pump" theory (which she co-authored), which describes how old, native, natural forests bring fresh water inland from the sea to themselves (and us!); it also accounts for the little-known but vastly significant role that old forests play in stabilizing the Earth's climate, moderating temperatures, storms, and droughts.
There will be a brief reception at 6pm, followed by the one-hour film at 6:30, then a Q&A session with filmmaker Ray Asselin and Trinity College Professor Susan Masino.
This film series, held at the Simsbury (CT) Public Library, is co-sponsored by Simsbury Grange; Real Art Ways; the Library; the Avon, Canton, Granby, Simsbury and Traprock Ridge Land Trusts; and North Woods Land Conservancy.
Admission is free and open to the public.
Registration is required, at the Simsbury Public Library website.
The library is located at 725 Hopmeadow St. in Simsbury, CT.
