Ancient Forest Society

Why Outreach Matters

by Erin Burk

Outreach is a core part of Ancient Forest Society’s mission. While much of our work takes place in the field through research and preservation activities, our long-term impact depends on how well that knowledge is shared. Communicating what we learn—about tree health, forest ecosystems, and how a changing climate impacts the dynamics of ancient forests—helps ensure that this information can inform management, inspire stewardship, and create impacts beyond our immediate projects.

Our outreach efforts take many forms. We work with student interns, collaborate with academic and community partners, and share updates from the field and the lab through presentations and media. Just last week, our Program Director Wendy Baxter, gave a presentation at the annual meeting of the Western Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (WCISA) outside Yosemite National Park. WCISA is an organization dedicated to fostering a greater appreciation of the benefits and value provided by trees through promoting research and education to advance the professional practice of arboriculture. This was a perfect opportunity to share our work with fellow tree lovers. These opportunities allow us to translate technical work into accessible information. In many cases, outreach also strengthens our own research by building relationships that lead to new questions, perspectives, and areas of focus.

Outreach is also an important way to connect people to places they may not otherwise experience or fully understand. Many of the forests we work in are remote, and even the ones that are accessible operate on such an expansive timescale that simply visiting the place doesn’t tell the whole story. By sharing our stories and newfound knowledge from these ecosystems, we aim to make our work more visible and relevant, and to highlight the importance of long-term investment in forest health.

As our programs continue to grow, we are looking to expand and refine our outreach efforts. We are particularly interested in ideas that help us reach new audiences, improve how we communicate our work, or create meaningful opportunities for engagement. This could include partnerships, events, educational materials or media, and other creative approaches.

If you have suggestions or would like to collaborate, we’d love to hear from you. Outreach is most effective when it reflects a diversity of perspectives, and community input plays an important role in shaping how we share our work. Thank you for reading and participating in our shared mission to protect our old growth forests!

Featured in In Trees by Robert Moor

Ancient Forest Society is honored to be included in In Trees: An Exploration, a new book by Robert Moor that explores the relationships between people and forests through science, history, and personal narrative. The book brings together a wide range of perspectives on how forests function, how they have been shaped over time, and how individuals and organizations are working to better understand and protect them.

Robert joined us in 2019 while we were filming in the giant sequoias with Sir David Attenborough for a BBC episode of Green Planet (Seasonal Worlds, Episode 3). He was in the midst of writing his book and was traveling at the time with AFS Board Member and Co-Founder Steen Christensen. They joined us as volunteers to help on the shoot. Spending time in the sequoias with Robert was truly inspirational. His deep knowledge about almost any topic and his insatiable curiosity are woven together in this thought-provoking exploration of trees. We’re grateful for the opportunity to have our work included in this broader conversation about forest ecosystems and conservation.

We encourage you to pick up a copy today! Congratulations Robert!

Happy 100th Birthday Sir David Attenborough!

Please join us in celebrating David Attenborough’s 100th birthday! As we mentioned above, we had the honor of filming with Sir David in Sequoia National Park in 2019 for a BBC episode of Green Planet. At the time he was a spry 93-year-old. Watching him present in person sent chills down the spine and evoked memories of all the amazing nature documentaries he narrated over the years. His passion for our planet and natural world was contagious and propelled us towards the foundation of Ancient Forest Society the following year. Thank you Sir David for being the voice of the voiceless and inspiring us to do our part to protect our precious planet.

Give a Gift That Supports Forests

Looking for a meaningful way to give? Supporting Ancient Forest Society—through a donation, membership, or merchandise purchase—is a way to connect friends and family to the protection of ancient trees.

Your support helps advance research, expand seed collection efforts, and share knowledge about these ecosystems with a broader audience.