Sustainable Local Wood Webinar Series: Woods to People

Join us for a creative look at how people connect with and make a living from the forest. This free webinar will focus on art, the forest-based rural economy, and how climate change is impacting timber harvesters and loggers.

Timber harvesting is a critical part of a strong forest economy that creates local jobs, allows us to carry out good forest management, and provides a steady supply of renewable wood products for our region. Painter Kathleen Kolb and poet Verandah Porche will talk about Shedding Light on a Working Forest, a book and traveling exhibition of paintings and narrative verse that celebrates the forested landscape and those who have honed their skills to make a living there. Learn about their creative process, and hear stories about their work and the people they met along the way.

NEFF Climate-Forest specialist Jennifer Shakun will also explore how altered or unpredictable weather patterns are affecting timber harvesting operations and the viability of logging businesses in southern New England. This will include highlights from a 2020 survey of timber harvesters in Massachusetts, which revealed interesting insights into the resourcefulness and adaptability of the logging community in the face of changing economic, social, and environmental factors.