Town Forest Conference is Oct. 4 in Middleborough

The annual Massachusetts Town Forest Conference, which fosters collaboration and conversation among a range of professionals and volunteers who contribute to community forest management, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 4, at Middleborough High School.

The free, full-day conference recognizes local efforts to support the climate resilience of community forests, and underscores the critical functions that town forests play in local ecosystems. The conference features exhibits, presentations, networking opportunities and field tours. The audience includes foresters, planners, arborists, conservation commission members, land trusts, nonprofit organizations, forest landowners, and more.

This year’s theme is “Sustaining Our Landscapes: Farms, Forests, and Cranberry Bogs.” The event will include a keynote discussion on the history of Middleborough and the Frederick Weston Memorial Forest. It will also feature speakers from the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the Middleborough Town Forest Committee.

Attendees may sign up for one of three field tours: Picone and Pratt Farms in Middleborough; Pratt Farm and Red Meadow Cranberry Bog; or the Frederick Weston Memorial Town Forest and Benson’s Pond Bog.

Registration and coffee will begin at 9:30 a.m., along with a chance to meet with exhibitors.

Lunch and refreshments are included with registration for the event, which will conclude at 4:30 p.m. Online preregistration is required.

The roots of the Town Forest Conference trace back to 1928, when the Massachusetts Forestry Association orchestrated the first gathering of town forest committees in Boston. In 2013, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation re-established the conference in commemoration of the centennial of the state’s town forest enabling law, the Town Forest Act of 1913.

Questions may be directed to Mike Downey at [email protected].