“A personal connection with the environment is at the heart of my work, which is first and foremost a celebration of the natural world.” – Ava Roth Ava Roth is a…
Magazine Series
The Evolution of Maine’s Forest Bioproducts Industry
Maine’s forests, stretching across 89 percent of the state, have long been the backbone of its economy, sustaining generations of loggers, truckers, and mill workers. Over the course of…
Behind the Pages
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. {image2} Loren Merrill (Discoveries, page…
How to Compression Test a Chainsaw
To run, your chainsaw needs air, fuel, spark, and compression in the cylinder. If any of those components are missing, your chainsaw won’t work – or at least won’t run and…
Off the Rails
Two miles down the trail that’s still drunk from coal dust though the rails screamed their way to scrap half a century since, we quit walking calm, start skewing wild as if those old…
The Gift of Access: An Adirondack Story
Since the late 19th century, the six-million-acre Adirondack Park – as big as Vermont, bigger than Yellowstone, Glacier, Everglades, and Grand Canyon national parks combined – has…
A Small Stretch of River
My neighbor Judy Smith, who is a geologist, told me one afternoon that the shale cliffs we looked up at from her cottage porch, along the north branch of the Susquehanna River, are Devonian…
Woods Work: Learning Through the Game of Logging
When John Adler, at the age of 23, first heard Swedish logger Soren Eriksson talk about new techniques for harvesting trees safely and efficiently, he saw an opportunity. Adler had been…
Shagbark Hickory
Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) trees are a familiar sight along rural roads and field edges over much of the Northeast. They are recognizable year-round by their telltale bark, with pieces…
What Are Mycorrhizal Fungi and What Role Do They Have in the Forest?
Fungi are a fundamental part of forest ecosystems. They break down dead plant material, releasing nutrients for other organisms to use, and they help plants access water and nutrients needed…