Landscape is much more than scenery to be observed or terrain to be traveled. Imprinted into the land is the history of how we and other species have inhabited it, the storms and fires that have shaped it, and its response to these and other changes.

Few people can “read” that imprint better than Tom Wessels, a terrestrial ecologist and professor emeritus at Antioch University where he founded the master’s degree program in Conservation Biology. His acclaimed book, Reading the Forested Landscape: A Natural History of New England, teaches us to read a landscape the way we might solve a mystery.

Join us for a special webinar on “Reading the Forested Landscape” with Tom Wessels on Tuesday, March 28 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm.

This interactive program may cover such topics as forest dynamics and history, tree growth forms, intriguing co-evolved interactions between forest species, and unique tree adaptations. Participants are asked to submit photos of things they have encountered on forest walks that interest them prior to the program. During the event, we will view a slide show of those submitted photos, which Tom will interpret in real-time to guide his discussion. He may ask the individuals who took the photos about things that may not be apparent from the image. Participants will also be able to ask Tom questions about any of the photos while they are presented.

Tom has conducted workshops on ecology and sustainability throughout the country for over three decades. In addition to Reading the Forested Landscape, he is the author of The Granite Landscape, The Myth of Progress, Forest Forensics, and his latest publication, New England’s Roadside Ecology: Explore 30 of the Region’s Unique Natural Areas.

This webinar will take place via Zoom. Registration is required to receive the program link, and the cost is $20.