Presentation: “Not all Forests are Created Equal”

Where: West Taghkanic Firehouse, 631 Old Route 82, Taghkanic, NY

The presentation “Not all Forests are Created Equal: A Closer Look at Our Forest Habitats and Their Biodiversity” by Claudia Knab-Vispo, Conrad Vispo, and Kyle Bradford will be the fourth in a series entitled “The Forest in Your Backyard,” organized by the Conservation Advisory Councils and Climate Smart Committees of the Towns of Taghkanic and Gallatin.

We will introduce our book “From the Hudson to the Taconics: An Ecological and Cultural Field Guide to the Habitats of Columbia County, New York” and describe how it can be used to recognize a variety of forest habitats, including various types of upland forests, as well as floodplain and swamp forest. Along the way, you will meet some of the plants and animals found in these different forest types. We’ll introduce the concept of “ancient” forest (which is not equivalent with “old growth” forest) and share our recently completed map of the potentially ancient forest remnants in Columbia County. Finally, we’ll share some thoughts about how land use history has shaped our forests, as well as some results from recent biodiversity inventories comparing ancient and post-agricultural forests in Columbia County.

The presentation will be recorded and posted on the Town of Taghkanic website (https://taghkanic.gov/), where you can also view the prior presentations in this series:

• An Introduction to the Forests of Columbia County – Will Yandik (Feb 8, 2025)
• Our Forests, Our Future: The State of Columbia County’s Forests – Troy Weldy (Mar 29, 2025)
• Ecological Woodland Health – Tracey Testo-Smith (May 10, 2025)