Forest Restoration

We use Forest Ecosystem Classification (FEC) to identify the trees, shrubs, and understory plants that naturally thrive in the specific area. We prioritize planting certain tree species based on the area’s growth patterns and their contribution to a healthy ecosystem. Our goal is to mimic natural stages of growth, facilitating a slightly faster progression along their successional path.

Older forests provide various benefits, such as greater biodiversity, increased carbon sequestration, prolonged carbon storage, improved water retention and filtration, and diverse habitat. Keeping these advantages in mind, our objective is to establish a natural mid-to-late age forest—the most beneficial state—as efficiently as possible without stressing the ecosystem. We do this by planting the associated species that grow in our usual late-succession forests. Yellow Birch and Sugar Maple being the two usual suspects.

Studies are beginning to show the importance of species composition in the health of a forest ecosystem as the climate changes in the future. Our boreal conifer species are projected to migrate to the North, with Acadian/Wabanaki hardwoods taking their place.

This means that as the climate warms, softwood forests may no longer thrive they grew for generations.

One of our aims is to prevent the mass mortality of softwood forests by gradually shifting the growing composition of trees to a more hardwood dominated state.