CENTER HARBOR, N.H. — Red oak, pine, and yellow birch trees grow densely throughout the Chamberlain-Reynolds Memorial Forest, towering over the walking paths that cut through 150 pristine acres abutting Squam Lake.
They range in age from young growth emerging in recently logged areas, to a stand of old growth trees that have been there for as long as 300 years, according to forester Peter Farrell, who is tasked with tending to these trees and overseeing harvests.
Like trees everywhere, they are reliably sucking carbon dioxide out of the air and storing it away in their trunks and roots.
But, in the eyes of its human stewards, this forest is special — an example of what the New England Forestry Foundation calls exemplary forestry, a practice the organization believes can play a major role in combating climate change.
By carefully selecting which trees to cut and which to leave on the landscape, Farrell has been able to grow more wood per acre, creating a healthy forest with trees of different ages and sizes that are well-suited to the site.
By sustainably cutting trees, the foundation believes it can make more productive forests that will absorb 646 million metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2050 — a third of what the region must reduce to meet net-zero goals.
Achieving that goal is a balancing act because forests aren’t merely a carbon sink. Trees also provide habitat that is critical to biodiversity, and cutting them yields a building material with the potential to displace steel and concrete as a more climate-friendly alternative.
Is there a place to learn or volunteer to plant trees?
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From [Globe.com](https://Globe.com):
By Amanda Gokee
CENTER HARBOR, N.H. — Red oak, pine, and yellow birch trees grow densely throughout the Chamberlain-Reynolds Memorial Forest, towering over the walking paths that cut through 150 pristine acres abutting Squam Lake.
They range in age from young growth emerging in recently logged areas, to a stand of old growth trees that have been there for as long as 300 years, according to forester Peter Farrell, who is tasked with tending to these trees and overseeing harvests.
Like trees everywhere, they are reliably sucking carbon dioxide out of the air and storing it away in their trunks and roots.
But, in the eyes of its human stewards, this forest is special — an example of what the New England Forestry Foundation calls exemplary forestry, a practice the organization believes can play a major role in combating climate change.
By carefully selecting which trees to cut and which to leave on the landscape, Farrell has been able to grow more wood per acre, creating a healthy forest with trees of different ages and sizes that are well-suited to the site.
By sustainably cutting trees, the foundation believes it can make more productive forests that will absorb 646 million metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2050 — a third of what the region must reduce to meet net-zero goals.
Achieving that goal is a balancing act because forests aren’t merely a carbon sink. Trees also provide habitat that is critical to biodiversity, and cutting them yields a building material with the potential to displace steel and concrete as a more climate-friendly alternative.
Is there a place to learn or volunteer to plant trees?