Harvard University Forest

This timely collection of essays, written by forestry and environmental specialists, tells the story of the conservation, use, and changes in Massachusetts’ forests over time. It begins with ecology and land-use history through pre-settlement, colonial, and post-Revolutionary periods, and ends with recommendations on how history may inform policy.

In the first book to review the nature, significance, and policy issues of the Northeast’s forests for a general audience, Irland tells the story of the changing forests of the nine northeastern states. He reviews their history from the first European settlements to the retreat of farming and forest regrowth in the 20th century.

In New England Forests through Time historical and environmental lessons are told through the world-renowned dioramas in Harvard’s Fisher Museum. These remarkable models have introduced New England’s landscape to countless visitors and have appeared in many ecology, forestry, and natural history texts. This first book based on the dioramas conveys the phenomenal history of the land, the beauty of the models, and new insights into nature.

Written by and about New Englanders, this book is relevant to those attempting to address conservation problems on a regional basis. The stories told here are of people using what they had, setting to work to remedy these conditions, and doing so successfully. At a time of growing concern for the environment both locally and globally, theirs is a story certain to inform and inspire the next generation of conservation leaders.

This volume builds a strong case for a collaborative endeavor to conserve 70 percent of the New England landscape in forest in perpetuity, presenting an ecologically salient call to action that is grounded in the scholarship of more than a dozen of the region’s leading experts in ecology, forestry, and agriculture.

Wildlands and Woodlands, Farmlands and Communities calls for conservationists and landowners to permanently protect 70 percent of New England as forest. This report outlines complementary uses of forest and agricultural landscape with thoughtful development of rural villages, suburbs, and cities—providing a regional example for the nation.