The 2023 Eastern Old-Growth Forest Conference: Discovering Community
By Northeast Regional Manager & EOGFC Steering Committee Member, Sarah RobbGrieco
This post is dedicated to Chris Kane, 1954-2023
On a mild September day in 2021, five of the Old-Growth Forest Network’s New Hampshire volunteer county coordinators gathered with a few friends at Sunapee State Park for their first hike together to collectively teach and learn about old-growth forests and to scout out candidate NH forests for inclusion in the Network. During lunch overlooking Lake Solitude that day, a question was put to the group: Could the Eastern Old-Growth Forest Conference series be rebooted after almost two decades of silence? Could this very group lead the charge? The answer was a resounding yes!
OGFN County Coordinators hiking at Sunapee State Park in September 2021
Left to right: Chris Kane (Merrimack County CC), Sarah RobbGrieco (Cheshire County CC), David Govatski (Coos, Grafton, Carroll Counties CC), Christine Tappan (Rockingham, Strafford Counties CC) Leslie Randlett, Vicki Brown (Rockingham County Advisor). Photo by John Pastore.
Two years later on September 21st, 2023, in Moultonborough, New Hampshire, 265 scientists, academics, forest practitioners, health care professionals, legislators, activists, artists, and forest enthusiasts (including 20 county coordinators from nine eastern states) came together for a three-day exchange of critical ideas for understanding the science of old forests, their impacts on global and human wellbeing and how best to steward them. But the event was so much more than an information exchange. It was a celebration of old-growth forests and of the human connection they inspire in us.
Attendees listening to presenter, Florence Williams, at the 2023 Eastern Old-Growth Forest Conference. Photo by Sarah RobbGrieco.
The setting for the conference reboot was Geneva Point Center, a historic camp and conference center with an eclectic array of indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, including a chapel and a barn, in the woods along the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee. The purpose was to bring together experts from a range of disciplines and (sometimes opposing) viewpoints to be open, to ask questions and to learn from each other while connecting with forests and forest-inspired art. Each morning, as conference goers emerged from their cozy, rustic cabins, inn guest rooms or tent-sites, they were greeted by crisp, early autumn air and plenty of sunshine. Early risers were treated to guided forest-bathing walks along the woodland trails. Days were packed with a plethora of exceptional and engaging speakers, poster presentations and, during breaks, a custom-designed woodblock print art activity. Nights offered social hours, s’mores around the campfire and a chapel art opening with a collection of large format photos of ancient forests that took your breath away. Guided field trips to some of New Hampshire’s most impressive old-growth forests bookended the whole conference experience.
We all came to this conference for the sharing of knowledge and expertise, for the networking opportunities and for the chance to see the celebrities of our field in action. And we got all of that, for sure. But we came away with something else as well, something that touched us in a deeper way, something that changed us. Over and over I heard people saying in awe-stricken tones things like: “I finally found my people!” or “This is my tree-tribe!” Even some people who have worked in these disciplines for many years expressed a new feeling of belonging. While long-established giants in the field of old-growth forests were enthusiastically honored, they, in turn, made a point to highlight the new generation of up-and-coming old-growth experts, who shone brightly. There was a sense, not just of mutual respect and admiration, but of community…even family.
“Together, all 265 of us, with whatever beliefs we each hold, and whatever school of thought we each come from, opened our hearts to each other in the name of, and for the love of, forests. ”
I'm grateful to our little group on the mountain for saying yes to an idea. I'm grateful to all the people and organizations who said, "Yes, I'll help," "Yes, I'll present," and "Yes, I'll attend!"
With that one little word, yes, something extraordinary happened.
Maybe it was the long wait between the last conference and this one. Maybe it was the isolation we all experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Or maybe it was just a very special combination of sunshine, forest air, open hearts and s’mores that made this such a special weekend. Whatever it was, I am grateful for it.
Whether you were able to attend or couldn't make it this year, we have presentations for you to review! Check out the 2023 Eastern Old-Growth Forest Conference page for more information.
Thumbnail photo courtesy of Robert Llewellyn.
