Ecologist and Author Tom Wessels will be Keynote Speaker for Forestry Forum on January 15 in Augusta. SUBMITTED PHOTO

AUGUSTA — Maine Woodland Owners will once again host its annual Forestry Forum on Wednesday, Jan. 15, on the 2nd Floor of the North Wing of the Augusta Civic Center on the second day of the Maine Agricultural Trades Show. This is a free event and open to the public. Forestry Forum is Maine Woodland Owners’ largest indoor event of the year and will be conducted both in-person and online. Doors open at 8 a.m.

The program will feature a unique opportunity to hear from renown ecologist and author, Tom Wessels, who will provide interpretation of a series of photographs submitted by woodland owners that they encountered while in the woods that they found intriguing and would like to learn more about.

These could be unusually shaped trees, trees with above ground roots, unique stumps, stone wall construction, clear changes in forest composition or forest structure such as the density and sizes of trees, unique forest understories such as a spruce forest with 100% moss coverage, unusual tree bark, pretty much anything that strikes a participant’s fancy.

Maine Woodland Owners will also be celebrating its 50th anniversary and recognition of this milestone will be included in the day. Forestry Forum will start with a brief Maine Woodland Owners member meeting at 8:30 a.m.  and will be followed by an announcement of the Maine Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year winner, and a recognition of Maine Woodland Owners’ 50th anniversary.

Starting at 9:30 a.m., there will be a series of informative presentations about forestry, the forest market, reading the forested landscape as well as the latest information about forest pests and disease. Lunch will be made available for purchase in the meeting room at noon and the program will close at 3:00 pm.

Additionally, Maine Woodland Owners is holding an online auction with unique items including handmade wooden items, equipment, art, and interesting experiences such as a tour of the Brant & Cochran axe making shop in South Portland. The auction will be open until 5:00 pm on January 15th, just after the end of the Forestry Forum.

There will also be a live auction during the Jan. 15 event. Featured items include a sculpture created by chainsaw wood carver Josh Landry, the creator of the sculpture that Stephen and Tabitha King commissioned for their home in Bangor, a tour of the world’s first 3-D printed bio-based home manufactured at the University of Maine, and a restored vintage axe made by makers in, what once was the “Axe Capital of the World” Oakland, Maine.

Tom Doak, Executive Director of Maine Woodland Owners, stated, “Our annual Forestry Forum provides members and the public with current information about issues that impact our forests and the landowners who faithfully steward them. For several years, Maine Woodland Owners has enjoyed connecting with members at this event, sharing information, and making plans for the years ahead.”

Maine Woodland Owners was formed in 1975 as an educational organization dedicated to providing knowledge and technical support for Maine’s small woodland owners. Their goal is to increase landowner engagement and long-term stewardship to ensure the health of Maine’s forests. Maine Woodland Owners is the only statewide organization supporting Maine’s 86,000 family woodland owners.

For more information about the event and how to attend, including accessing the link to attend online, visit Maine Woodland Owners website, www.mainewoodlandowners.org, or contact Jennifer Hicks, Director of Communications and Outreach (jenn@mainewoodlandowners.org; 207-626-0005).