Witness Tree

[bogey456]

CT... That tree looks like it will be nice once it hits peak. Can you tell me where it is? We may head back up that way on Saturday. Al

[ctyanky]

Hello there my NH friend! You have to walk thru a field after pulling off to the side of the class 4 road (field ok'd for crossing) with over the boot high wet grass for quite a bit to reach the overlook of the entire valley to get to the questionable "witness tree" . I did not get any ticks but was soaked thru to mid calf. I will call/email you with the directions by tomorrow night. My inn keeper met a NH photog today at the festival who was the one who guided Peter Miller years ago to some photog locations to shoot for Yankee!!!! Can you believe it????

[ctyanky]

Al Pal from NH: I am emailing to your home email a pdf of the mini hand written map from my inn keeper. You will love the views up there. Saturday will be the icing on the cake. Enjoy! I'll be in Stowe if you get there during your trip! Otherwise, see you next year! Hi Bob!

[Utah Baker]

I sure hope someone eventually posts a picture of this elusive tree!

[bogey456]

If you have access to or can get Yankee Magazine's -Yankee's Ultimate Guide to Autumn in New England -and go to page 17 you will see a photo of the tree that we are all looking for. It's in Peacham somewhere. I sent an email to Peter Miller who took the photo asking for its location but never got a reply. Al

[ctyanky]

Listen, maybe I'll just call the dude myself. I have his number! All kidding aside, this has been the most fun thread I've been on yet on SOV and it has led me to meet my new friend Al from NH and his friend Bob who is probably lurking here right now. I've found numerous hillsides with gorgeous views looking for the witness tree in Peacham. I've discovered new back roads and vistas and class 4 roads. I've met countless folks in Peacham who wanted to know more about my search and I have also spoken to the man in Plainfield on the phone at great lengths about his research for Harvard (or was it Yale) for witness trees in New England. I learned so much from him about old growth forests and the way "witness trees" were used for land boundary markers. He was amazing! He even offered to come meet me! I talked to the town clerk as well as a wonderful lady whose husband is the fire chief warden (who someone thought was the tree warden here) and those historians in the Peacham library. Need I say more?

Isn't there a saying, "It's not the destination but the journey?" Well that it was for me. I feel like I came full circle with this even though I found "my" witness tree and not bogey "Al's" witness tree.

On another note, has anyone thought that perhaps the tree is not there anymore????

Anyways, I was thinking I should come back as Al's Witness Tree in my next life. That should solve the search in its entirety. CT

[calguy]

Just wanted to let you know Al and I enjoyed our day with you last Tuesday. The barn over the road was quite unique. We plan to start our trip up tomorrow in Peacham and go from there.
Bob

[ctyanky]

Bob! Nice to see you here on the forum! Glad you decided to pop in and I hope to see more of you. It was great to meet you both. Enjoy your time in Peacham and beyond. Let me know if you guys went into that field to see "MY" Witness Tree! I'm off to Stowe to settle in to my horse farm but will be stopping for some fun activities on the way! Have an awesome fall foliage day! CT

[bogey456]

Yes we did. Still not at peak yet

[ctyanky]

Good luck with the "witness tree" Al! We'll have to put it on the bucket list for next year! It was fun while it lasted and at least we got to meet each other in real life! Hope the rest of your foliage seeking for 2019 is productive! CT

[ctyanky]

Hi Al! I told you when I start a search mission, I don't give up! Look what I found! I may purchase this book! I'm so fascinated now, it has got me quite intrigued! WCVB Boston has amazing articles! I hope the rest of your fall was wonderful and this weekend, we are hitting the NW Corner of CT. The trees are just starting to come into peak in my area and I feel the foliage should survive the winds and rain! See you next year in Vermont Al!!!!!!!!!


https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/witness-tree

https://www.wcvb.com/article/twitter-is ... s/29449475
****************************************************************************************
I am forever a lover of trees, our forests and our natural landscape. CT

[ctyanky]

Hi Al and Bob (if you are still lurking around this thread!) I'm attending a lecture on the not so secret life of trees in a couple of weeks by lecturer Dr. Marlyse Duguid, a forester, botanist, horticulturist, and ecologist. Here is a brief summary, "Are trees sentient; do they feel, smell, hear, remember, communicate? What does the current science tell us about how trees interact with each other and other organisms in the landscape. And what does it mean for the trees in our forests, yards, and landscapes."

I'm really looking forward to this lecture and being with others who love our trees, forests and the natural world. I'm always ready to soak in new information about trees in general but mostly, the whole topic of forestry is so intriguing! Love the enthusiasm of those professionals in the tree business, especially tree preservation! Will report back!

Hope you are still thinking about your "witness tree"!!!!!

[ctyanky]

Just an update...… I went to my tree lecture last night and it was quite enlightening and very educational. The best part was being surrounded by like minded folks who care about our forests and trees and how we can better our natural landscape through tree preservation and proper land/forest management and conservation. I never saw so many people in one place who care about how our trees benefit our lives in so many ways. A couple of them very outspoken on the topic of the electric companies coming in and clear cutting the trees along the highways and power lines and not replanting, or filling below the power line areas in with rocks so no regeneration occurs after cutting down the trees that impact the lines. There are always differing opinions on tree management and I find that it is important to listen to both sides. Many trees have come down and caused a lot of personal injuries/death in recent storms not to mention property damage. With so many new/old insect infestations and trees living out their lifespan, some do have to be cut down unfortunately. A lot of my misconceptions were cleared up about the impact of tree cutting in forests as sometimes it is beneficial to the health of the trees there and the larger picture of regeneration. We also learned about how the loss of trees affects wildlife and other habit. So fascinating!!!!

I learned so much and am looking forward to more lectures on how trees are so vital to our lives and to read more on how forests are managed. My new passion continues to grow! So fortunate to have a circle of friends who are in the tree business/loggers/arborists/etc. I will never look at a tree the same anymore!

[ctyanky]

Hello again and an update to the Witness Tree post to continue my passion for our trees, forests and woodlands!

I was looking to see if Vermont had any "old growth forests" and found quite a fascinating article on the subject. Albeit a tad long, I found it so captivating! I'm hoping to go to one or two of the areas when I come up in the fall with my arborist friends.....

https://www.vpr.org/post/does-vermont-h ... wth-forest

I've extrapolated from the article an incomplete list made of some of the patches of old growth forests in the state of Vermont and here they are: (Some of these sites are better-suited to visitors than others. Please do your research before taking a field trip!). You can find links in the above article link......

Austin Brook Area, Bread Loaf Wilderness, Green Mountain National Forest
Button Point Natural Area, Button Bay State Park, Ferrisburgh*
Cambridge Natural Area, Cambridge State Forest, Cambridge^
Camel's Hump Natural Area, Camel's Hump State Park^
The Cape Research Natural Area, Green Mountain National Forest, Goshen/Chittenden
Fisher-Scott Memorial Pines Natural Area, Arlington^
Gifford Woods State Park, Killington
Granville Gulf Spruce-Hemlock Stand, Granville Gulf Reservation, Granville^
Kingsland Bay Natural Area, Kingsland Bay State Park, Ferrisburgh*
Lake Carmi Bog Natural Area, Lake Carmi State Park, Franklin^
Lords Hill Natural Area, Groton State Forest, Marshfield^
Mt. Equinox, Taconic Range, Manchester
Mt. Mansfield & Bingham Falls, Mt. Mansfield State Forest*
Quechee Gorge, Quechee State Park, Quechee*
Roy Mountain Wildlife Area, Barnet^
Spectacle Pond Natural Area, Brighton State Park, Island Pond*
Vernon Black Gum Swamps, J. Maynard Miller Municipal Forest, Vernon*
Williams Woods Natural Area, Charlotte (The Nature Conservancy)*
Willmarth Woods at Snake Mountain, Addison (The Nature Conservancy)*

*Source: The Sierra Club Guide to the Ancient Forests of the Northeast, by Bruce Kershner & Robert T. Leverett

If anyone is interested in further discovery, here are some fascinating book links!

https://books.google.com/books/about/Th ... 6hQgAACAAJ

https://www.amazon.com/Among-Ancients-A ... 0983011109

https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Temples- ... 1604697288