What an amazing place! Over 60 years of forest and environmental research happening right in our backyard is a pretty cool thing and getting a tour with White Mountain Forest Tech Amey Bailey was a close second. It is SO rare to have a long-term study that looks at forest growth and so important because it shows us how human land use and climate changes affect the forest- its creatures, water, trees- the entire ecological system- over decades, and eventually, centuries. People tend to think of time in the short term- 5, 10, even 20 years can seem like a long time. A twenty year old forest, however, is still well in its infancy; most forests don’t reach “old growth” status for over 100 years.

Amey showed us around the forest and talked to us about the variety of ecological research projects that are happening at the forest. From nighttime insect studies to leaf phenology to stream acidity to climate change, this place is truly an experimental forest.