"Proforestation" film screening premiere event

 

For a long, long time, we humans have been harvesting forests for wood products, clearing forests for agriculture and development, and otherwise manipulating forested lands. There's not much left that hasn't been disturbed by us. Does that matter? Well, yes, it does. 

Why should we leave any forests alone, where trees will sprout, grow, and eventually die, only to "just go to waste"? Because unmanipulated "old growth" forests are highly evolved and adapted to the long-term conditions where they grow. Trees are long-lived plants; their lives span the typical ups and downs of temporary changes in climate. 

Old forests are superior to young forests in providing filtered, clean water and air. With their ability to transpire water vapor via photosynthesis, large, contiguous old forests propagate precipitation across the land, keeping streams and rivers flowing, ground water abundant, and aquifers at optimal levels.  

 

 

Just as we need "working" forests to supply harvestable timber, we likewise need substantial "wildland" forests around the globe to maintain life-supporting conditions, not only for us, but for wildlife of all kinds as well. This is not an option; it is a requisite for sustaining human, animal, and plant life on this planet. Where humans have eliminated forests, deserts result. Where forests still exist but are over-harvested, the land is likely on a downward spiral toward forest simplification and eventual desertification.

 

  

Our latest film, "Proforestation: Letting Forests Grow Old", discusses the need for allowing forests to live to their ecological potential, to provide us with all their benefits.

The film's premiere local screening will be presented as part of Real Art Ways' "Science On Screen" series, on Saturday, April 25, 2026.

Due to ongoing renovations at Real Art Ways, the event will be held at the Connecticut Science Center theater, in Hartford, CT. 

The program begins at 3pm, when Professor Susan Masino of Trinity College will give a short talk and slide presentation prior to the film, which begins at 3:30. A Q&A session will follow the film. 

Seating will be General Admission; tickets and info are available at the Real Art Ways website. 

The Connecticut Science Center is located in Hartford, CT, at 250 Columbus Boulevard. Directions and parking info are available on their website.

 

 

Connecticut Science Center

 

 

 

 

 

White Pine Film Event in Simsbury, CT

 

Eastern White Pines

 If you look at a forested hillside almost anywhere in the northeast, you'll probably see eastern white pines poking up through the canopy and towering over the surrounding trees. We tend to take those pines for granted; they're just part of the natural landscape.

But 400 years ago, stands of huge, primeval New England white pines were highly valued by the English Crown, the finest being axe-marked as the “King’s pines”. They were sorely needed for ship masts, and were the primary motivation in sending colonists to these shores, eventually sparking the American Revolution. Their importance didn't wane post-revolution; on the contrary, they were integral to the building of much of the eastern United States through the following century. It's a cogent story.
 

"King's Pine"

And that story is told in "Eastern White Pine - the Tree Rooted in American History", our one-hour documentary film that uses vintage images, current footage, and soaring aerial views to tell the 4-century tale of the pine's critical contribution to America's founding and history. You may be surprised to learn how the white pine is woven through the fabric of this country's formation.

Eastern White Pine Logs

Today, the white pine still is economically important, but it's much appreciated for its ecological role too. A number of wildlife species are dependent on pines; some are described in the film, from birds to bears. 

On Thursday evening, April 23, 2026, the film will be shown at the Simsbury (CT.) Public Library, co-sponsored by Simsbury Grange, Simsbury Land Trust, Real Art Ways, and the library. 

In celebration of Earth Day and Arbor Day, the event begins at 6pm with a reception featuring pine needle tea and other treats.

Admission is free, although pre-registration (here) is required. 

There will be a Q&A session following the film.