The North Mountain
Old Forest
A Non-Profit Group
helping woodlot owners restore characteristics
of
natural Acadian forest ecosystems
Nova Scotia CANADA
Who are we? * Why are we concerned? * What are our goals?
low-impact logging with horses * planting old-forest
trees * our work with nesting
boxes!
Who Are We?
We are a non-profit group founded in January 2001,
dedicated to ensuring the long-term well-being of privately owned woodlands in
Why Are We
Concerned?
Acadian old-growth forests take hundreds of years to form. They are complex and diverse, containing trees of all ages from seedlings to old giants. Unfortunately, these old forests are severely threatened by large-scale changes made by humans. They presently exist only as tiny islands within a growing sea of even-aged young softwoods, single-species plantations, and clearcuts. These tiny habitat fragments can only be inhabited by very small populations of old-forest species, and thus their populations are extremely vulnerable to becoming extinct.
If we can protect and restore
Acadian old-growth forests, we will save a vital source of * watershed
protection * wildlife habitat * biological diversity * scientific information *
valuable timber * human livelihoods * and recreation.
To increase awareness that Acadian old-growth forests are unique and valuable - and that they are threatened;
To develop methods of restoring old-growth characteristics to younger, second-growth forests, that enhance their ecological, economic, and social values;
To support and facilitate
initiatives for old-growth forest restoration and conservation, by providing
educational, financial, and human resources.
For The Long Term
Ultimately, we hope to expand the representation of old-growth forests, and ensure that these ecosystems are protected far into the future.
To achieve these ends, we are working towards a concept of forest stewardship that balances a diversity of values - ecological, economic, and social.
If
you are interested in old-forest ecology, restoration and conservation, or if you're
a woodlot owner who wants to learn more about forest stewardship for the long
term, please get in touch with us. We welcome your knowledge, ideas, and
energy. Together, we can make a significant contribution to the cause of
old-forest restoration and conservation. 
Contact
us at:
RR#5
Telephone: (902) 582-1208
E-mail: djbishop@glinx.com
Our First Project!
Thanks to initial funding from
Environment Canada's EcoAction 2000 Community Funding
Program, The North
Mountain Old Forest Society started work on its first project early in 2001.
Entitled "Restoring Old-Forest Integrity on Private Woodlands", the
project is designed to initiate old-forest restoration within younger forests.
To date over 30 North Mountain and area woodlots have had some sort of
restoration work done, extending from Scott's Bay to Morden and to the
In January 2001, we began by selectively harvesting trees of the second-growth type (such as white spruce, white birch, and balsam fir) using low-impact logging with horses. This was meant to change the tree species mix, by opening up small areas to make room for old-forest species.
Each year since 2001, participants planted tree seedlings. The species are typical of Acadian old-growth forests: red spruce, white pine, eastern hemlock, yellow birch, white ash, and red oak, and sugar maple. They are more tolerant to shaded growing conditions, longer lived, and grow larger in diameter than the species found in younger forests.
To date we've built and installed over 300 nest boxes intended for a wide array of old forest wildlife. Many animals, like flying squirrels, barred owls, and fishers, normally require large, mature, or dead trees for nesting cavities. These trees are typical of old forests, but scarce in younger forests. The nest boxes will provide nesting habitat until the forests produce nesting sites on their own.
Our Newest Project: Creating…
“A Guide to the
Restoration of
Restoring characteristics
of Acadian forest ecosystems is necessary if we are to manage our forest
resources in
The guide is
meant to give resource managers in the Acadian Forest Region the informational
support and guidance to understand and provide for or assist the restoration of
the characteristic structures, compositions, and functions of natural Acadian
forest ecosystems. Thanks to initial
funding from the George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation and additional
funding from the Nova Forest Alliance (
Research
commenced through the hiring of chief researcher (Flora Johnson), who may later
serve as a writer and editor. A steering
committee is directing the project at present with representation from the
North Mountain Old Forest Society (Lance Bishop), Acadia Centre for
Conservation and Wildlife Biology (Søren
Bondrup-Nielsen), the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre (Sean Basquill), Nature Trust of New Brunswick (Jamie Simpson),
Ecology Action Centre (Patrick Canning), Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and
Operators Association (Will Martin), and Natural Resources Canada (Peter Solonious). It is hoped that the steering committee could
expand to include additional representation from the NS Department of Natural
Resources, NS Department of Environment and Labor, and large industry
stakeholders.
A
fundamental premise of the guide project
is that the forests of
The guide
project recognizes, respects, and supports the rights of woodlot owners who
wish to manage in the context of restoring Acadian forest ecosystems and, more
importantly, provides practical intellectual resources to make restoration
possible. Through conveniently
collecting and packaging the currently disparate knowledge on this topic into
the format of a technical guide, this project will inevitably lead to more
sustainable forest management on the ground, not only in NS but throughout the
Acadian Forest Region or beyond.
The guide
will be applicable to all practitioners and students of forest management and
conservation in the
To put your name on our contact list to purchase a
copy of the guide when it is finished, contact
Lance Bishop at:
or call
902 582-1208
last updated