You can be a part of helping us grow! Community volunteers are invited to join KNC’s Conservation Stewardship team to plant trees in the sugarbush. Choose either – or both – sessions!

The “sugarbush” area of KNC’s land had a high proportion of ash trees, all of which have been severely impacted by the emerald ash borer, an invasive forest pest. As ash trees died, the newly opened parts of the forest quickly filled with invasive shrubs like autumn olive and multiflora rose. Since 2020, KNC has been working to clear away invasives and replant trees to restore the health of this area, acre-by-acre.

Community volunteers are invited to join us for two sessions:

“Sugarbush” is a common term for a forest used for maple sugaring. Maple sugaring demonstrations are an important part of KNC’s history and programs. This particular section of forest is the prime location for our Maple Sugar Festival events, and we want it looking its best.

No. In fact, this restoration is a big part of KNC’s climate adaptation strategy. We are planting more sugar maples, but we are planting 20+ other species of trees and shrubs as well. We are including some trees that are not typical of a beech-maple forest and sourcing our trees from a slightly more southern growing region. With all of these strategies, we hope to increase the species, structural, and genetic diversity of our forests with trees that may be slightly better adapted to a warmer climate and therefore more resilient in the future.