Behind the Pages

Emily Rowe has been working behind the scenes for the past 16 years to keep things moving forward at the Center for Northern Woodlands Education. Now the Center’s communications and circulation director, Emily has a hand in every aspect of the organization, from subscription management and community outreach to our online shop, website, and social media. She also coordinates Northern Woodlands events, including this autumn’s revival of the Northern Woodlands Conference. Beyond the office, Emily enjoys basket weaving, collecting vintage postcards, and digging for old bottles. A devoted local history buff, she is currently researching the lives of the families who lived in the 1868 house where Northern Woodlands’ offices have been since 2018. Photo by Jennifer Durgin.

Dozens of people contribute to creating each issue of Northern Woodlands. Here are a few of the people whose work is featured in the Autumn magazine.

From left: Elise Tillinghast, Jennifer Durgin, Liz Thompson, and Bob Perschel.

Elise Tillinghast (Seasonal Notes, page 16) was the executive director and publisher of Northern Woodlands for 12 years and has also served as editor of the magazine. She is Associate Director at the Hubbard Brook Research Foundation, which is currently engaged in a bipartisan effort to protect long-term ecosystem and silvicultural studies at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest and partner sites across the national Experimental Forests and Ranges network. Elise is also affiliated with Brandeis University Press as editor-at-large for Nature and the Environment. She enjoys time in the woods with her family. Photo courtesy of Pompy Tillinghast.

Jennifer Durgin (“Promise & Potential Pitfalls of 25 Million Trees,” page 40) is the editorial and outreach coordinator for Northern Woodlands and a freelance writer, drawing on two decades of experience in editing and fundraising communications. She also serves as Vermont state coordinator for the nonpartisan organization Citizens’ Climate Lobby, which empowers everyday people to bridge political divides and advocate for climate solutions at the federal level. Fascinated by the natural world, Jen enjoys swimming in cold fresh waters, cross-country skiing, and reading about fungi, plants, and critters big and small. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Durgin.

Liz Thompson (“Finding Natural Communities,” page 50) is an ecologist and conservationist with deep New England roots. She serves on the board of Northeast Wilderness Trust and is affiliated with Wildlands, Woodlands, Farmlands, and Communities as managing editor of From the Ground Up and as coordinator of the 2027 Northeastern Old Growth Conference. She co-authored Wetland, Woodland, Wildland: A Guide to the Natural Communities of Vermont; Vermont Conservation Design; and Wildlands in New England. Liz enjoys walking in the woods or on the beach, often with a camera, noticing the beauty in the ordinary. Photo by Amy Sheldon.

Bob Perschel (Poetry, page 71) is a professional forester and has been the director of The Wilderness Society’s Land Ethic Program, chaired the 53-member Northern Forest Alliance, helped found the Forest Stewards Guild, and most recently served as executive director of the New England Forestry Foundation. His book Numinosity draws from his experiences in the forests of New England and elsewhere. He is working on a second poetry collection and a model of environmental leadership that integrates both the emotional and intellectual dimensions of human experience. He lives in an oak forest on the north shore of Martha’s Vineyard. Photo courtesy of Bob Perschel.