Bard Has Its Own Old-Growth Forest

The Old-Growth Forest Network, a national organization dedicated to preserving ancient forests, has officially nominated Bard’s South Woods as an old-growth forest. The forests in the Old-Growth Forest Network are chosen because they are among the oldest known forests in their counties. 

The South Woods is a 70-acre parcel of Montgomery Place along the property’s southern perimeter, just behind the Visitors Center. The one-mile South Woods Trail, an old carriage road, winds its way through this untouched forest until it reaches the Hudson River. The forest consists of ancient hemlocks, oaks, and maples, as well as young beech and pine trees. The oldest tree in the woods has been dated to 1735. In her 1989 National Landmark application for Montgomery Place, Jacquetta Haley noted that the South Woods just might be the “oldest oak forest in the Hudson Valley.” 

An old-growth forest (also known as a virgin forest) is defined as a forest that has reached 100 years or more without significant disturbance during its lifetime. Only a small percentage of the United States’ Western forests and a few tenths of one percent of Eastern forests are considered old-growth.  

Nominated old-growth forests are required to have formal plans in place to ensure that their trees and ecosystems are protected from commercial logging. They must also be open to the public for recreational purposes.

Before Bard acquired Montgomery Place in 2016, the previous estate owner, Historic Hudson Valley, put in place two conservation easements, one under Scenic Hudson (1987) and another under the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (1989). The property is a designated National Historic Landmark and a contributing property to the Hudson River Historic District.

The Montgomery Place grounds are open every day from dawn to dusk, free of charge. However, due to the concerns about COVID-19, the property is currently open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays only. Check bard.edu/montgomeryplace/visiting for updates. 

The Old-Growth Forest Network is the first national organization working specifically to preserve ancient forests for the enjoyment of present and future generations. In counties capable of supporting forest growth, the network identifies at least one forest that will be forever protected from logging and open to the public, and then helps families connect with the forests. The goal is a national network of treasured forests where all generations can experience native biodiversity and the beauty of nature. 

According to the organization, old-growth forests have important ecological benefits. Their various canopy layers and berry-producing plants are beneficial for many bird species. In a forest that has not been disturbed for hundreds of years, some trees develop hollow cavities, which become important nesting places for animals. When the trees die and fall, they create yet more habitat: numerous insects, fungi, reptiles, and amphibians benefit from the fallen trees. The moisture retained within an old-growth forest benefits lichen and mosses, and the species that live among the mosses and lichens. Old-growth forests are one of the few land uses where topsoil is created instead of destroyed. Additionally, more carbon and nitrogen is retained in an old-growth forest than in forests of other age classes. In short, for improving water and air quality, there is nothing better than an old-growth forest.
Visit the Old-Growth Forest Network website at oldgrowthforest.net.

Arbor Day Marks Official Induction of South Woods into Old-Growth Forest Network
On Friday, April 30, Bard’s Arbor Day celebrations will include the formal induction of the campus’s South Woods into the national Old-Growth Forest Network (OFGN). The 70-acre forest at Montgomery Place becomes just the 12th New York forest to join OFGN, an organization founded in 2011 with a mission to connect people with nature by creating a national network of protected, publicly accessible native forests. To date, the network includes more than 110 forests in 24 states. 

“The Bard Arboretum is so excited to see this forest rightfully acknowledged for its unique qualities of flora and fauna by the Old-Growth Forest Network,” said Arboretum Director Amy Parrella ’99. “It is truly a unique resource for the College and community that should be treasured.”