This article originally ran in the Baysider.
MILTON — A unique outdoor workshop is planned for Friday morning, Nov. 4, where three forms of logging will be demonstrated on a sustainably managed forest. The workshop is free and open to the public and will be held at the Branch River Woodlands in Milton from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. It is co-sponsored by Moose Mountain Regional Greenways (MMRG) and Branch Hill Farm/the Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust (BHF/CSFCT).
Woodlot owners, students, conservationists and anyone interested in understanding the timber harvest practices they observe in local forests, or in seeing new possibilities for forest improvement, are invited to watch both high-tech and ‘micro’ equipment in action.
Consulting forester Charlie Moreno will discuss the various timber harvest systems and the associated forestry, with on-site demonstrations by Brent Day of Wm. Day and Sons, Inc., showcasing in-progress cut-to-length and biomass harvest operations, and Larry Hersom of Hersom Logging, showing conventional logging and micro-harvesting techniques.
“What are the differences between the three modes of timber harvesting? What equipment is used? Are there advantages and disadvantages? For what situations are each type of logging best suited? What forest products are produced? Is forest improvement possible?”
Moreno will answer these questions and more, as attendees watch the crews at work.
The outing will encompass about 2.5 miles of walking on trails and forest roads. For more directions and to pre-register, please call MMRG’s Education Coordinator Kari Lygren at 978-7125 or e-mail info@mmrg.info.
MMRG, a non-profit land trust, works to conserve and connect important water resources, farm and forest lands, wildlife habitats and recreational land in Brookfield, Farmington, Middleton, Milton, New Durham, Wakefield and Wolfeboro. Throughout the year, MMRG offers many educational opportunities to inform all ages about the benefits of our region’s natural resources. For more information about MMRG, visit www.mmrg.info. Branch Hill Farm/the Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust works to protect open space and working forests and to educate the public about sound forestry, conservation and agricultural practices, see www.branchillfarm.org.
