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Narrator: Like our homes, the forests and lands around us also need to be maintained.
Narrator: An often misunderstood concept.
Charlie Mitchell: When, when we first looked at this property there, there were about 50
acres that had been pretty much clear-cut and we came in and we said this is the ugliest
thing we’ve ever seen.
Narrator: but the Mitchells soon realized their opinions might be wrong.
Nanci Mitchell: we moved in, um, we were delighted to find that we had whip-poor-wills even at
4:30 in the morning we still enjoyed them. And, um, we also had towhees. Ah, the towhees
disappeared…we realized that we were losing the habitat that a lot of these birds that
we were enjoying needed.
Narrator: They realized something needed to be done.
Charlie Mitchell: Our ideal used to be: all old growth forest that’s, that’s all that
anyone needs including the, wildlife and we learned that’s really not the case and different
wildlife has different habitat requirements.
Narrator: NH is lucky to have lots of mature forest, but a habitat type that's dwindling
from the landscape, and is used by over 70 species, is young forests.
It's an essential habitat needed by many songbirds like whip poor wills, towehees along with
a whole host of other wildlife.
Emma Carcagno: it's really the structure of those forests that are important. They're
really dense and the young trees grow really close together and so they provide a lot of
protection for a variety of birds especially but also mammals as well.
Narrator: But as NH's forests have matured, that young forest habitat is harder to find
and so are the many types of wildlife that need it.
Will Staats: different wildlife respond to different sizes of vegetation. If we want
a diversity of wildlife species we need all those size classes on the landscape. And the
only way to get those is to either make it ourselves through cutting, through commercial
cutting or non commercial cutting or wait for mother nature to do it for us and often
she doesn't do it in the right places.
Narrator: On properties throughout the state the science of forestry and habitat management
is being used to help create more habitat diversity. Through well planned harvesting,
including clear cuts, prescribed burning, mowing, and many other techniques, the state'
native wildlife will have an important ecosystem to help maintain healthy populations
Emma Carcagno: We are on the Tucker property which is owned by South East Land Trust. It's
about a 200 acre property. And we are creating some openings for wildlife here.
Narrator: This work is being done through a grant from the Natural Resources Conservation
Service. By creating a diversity of habitats on this property it will support a greater
diveristy of wildlife.
Emma Carcagno: On this property most of the forest is the same age so the trees are all
pretty small. In this case we're going to make about 4 openings this year and in about
5 to 10 years we will come back and make some more openings in between those openings so
that you end up with a diversity of habitat over time. a mix of young and old forests
coming in.
Narrator: In the past, naturally occurring floods and forest fires helped maintain the
natural diversity.
Emma Carcagno: Flooding and fires are things we tend to try and prevent from happening
on the landscape, and with good reason. We want to protect our property. But we've sort
of slowed down the processes that naturally created those habitats so occasionally we
have to step in and create those habitats where we can if we have a good opportunity
to do so.
Narrator: The new openings over time will grow into matrure forests. This is why new
openings are cut next to them to help maintain the young forest habitat that some many types
of wildlife need.
Narrator: And once the work is done, it doesn't take long for mother nature to respond.
Wendy Weisiger: we just cut this this winter and already you can see all of the ferns that
have come back and the grasses and seedlings that are already coming in and we just pulled
out of here in March and this is just July.
Narrator: As some landowners have learned, first impressions of a clear-cut landscape
can be deceiving.
Charlie: now we’re paying money to create the same, the same habitat. And, and we walk
in an area like this now and say wow what a great early-successional forest. You know,
think about all of the wildlife that is taking advantage of this. So, so our outlook has
really changed.
Narrator: Young Forests are nature's supermartket…and neighborhood. Without this valuable habitat,
NH woods would not be the same place.