2023 Fall Meeting Program Highlights

Guest Speaker

Charles D. Canham, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist, Emeritus
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Author of Forests Adrift: Currents Shaping the Future of Northeastern Trees

Forests Adrift: Ecological Legacies and Modern Currents that Will Shape Eastern Forests

Description: Drawing from his recent book Forests Adrift, Charles Canham will sketch both the ecological legacies and modern currents that will shape the future of eastern forests.  It is not possible to understand where our forests are headed without accounting for the legacies of centuries of changes in land use and forest management.  While the impacts of climate change rightly dominate headlines, the effects on eastern forests will take place in the context of the many other currents that will determine the future distribution and abundance of eastern tree species.  Those include both the intrinsic process of forest succession, and many human threats, including air pollution, invasive species, and the ever-expanding list of introduced forest pests and pathogens.

About the speaker: Charles Canham is a Senior Scientist, Emeritus at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, where he has been on the scientific staff since 1984.  He has a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University, and a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Botany from Montana State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, respectively.  His primary research interests have focused on the ecology and management of temperate forests, particularly in the Northeastern U.S., and is the author of Forests Adrift: Currents Shaping the Future of Northeastern Trees.

PANEL DISCUSSION:
Perspectives on Land Protection and Easements

Panelists

Jack​ Stefferud | Senior Director of Land Protection
Natural Lands | Media, PA
Natural Lands is a non-profit organization that saves open space, cares for nature, and connects people to the outdoors in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. Natural Lands has been protecting open space since the early 1950s, completing hundreds of conservation projects. We love saving land, but we think it is just the first step.

Amanda Burkard-Sell | Agriculture Program Manager
Berks Co. Dept. of Agriculture | Leesport, PA
The Berks County Agricultural Land Preservation Board, assisted by staff of the Berks County Department of Agriculture, is responsible for administering the Agricultural Conservation Easement (ACE) Program. The ACE Program permanently preserves farmland to ensure the future of agriculture in Berks County through the purchase of agricultural conservation easements.

Larry Lloyd | Senior Ecologist
Berks Nature
 Reading, PA
Berks Nature is a 501C3 Non-profit land trust capable of owning land for preserves and holding conservation easements.  We can receive charitable donations to accomplish those ends and we can also apply for and administer public and private grants to accomplish those ends.

Fall Meeting Tour
Castanea Farms – Chestnut Processing Facility

Rick Hartlieb, Chapter President will lead a tour of the processing facilities at his chestnut farm. Rick Hartlieb, Chapter President will lead a tour of the processing facilities at his chestnut farm. Castanea Farms, LLC is owned and operated by Jen and Rick Hartlieb. The property dates back to 1870. Its namesake is derived from the Latin name for chestnut ‘Castanea’. Adjacent to the original log house is the second-largest Japanese Chestnut in Pennsylvania. Originally farmed by Pennsylvania Dutch families, this farm has been home to a small dairy, heifer operation, hog production, and crop farming.

Screening of the American chestnut documentary, Clear Day Thunder