Where the Red Spruce Grows, Again

Red spruce forests once dominated approximately one million acres across the highlands of West Virginia. Unscrupulous logging of the late 1880's into the early 1900's left nary a spruce on the landscape. Through the efforts of the Central Appalachian Spruce Restoration Initiative, over two million trees have been planted, yet there is still much work to do. Learn about the historic extent of these grand forests, their current distribution, and the future of this forest and the species that depend on it, as pressures like climate change and development make restoration efforts more urgent than ever. Join us for this presentation by Mike Powell, the Director of Lands for The Nature Conservancy in West Virginia where he manages a network of nature preserves and conservation easements. Restoration and management of the red spruce ecosystem has been a focus of his work since joining TNC in 2006. Mike also works to ensure priority conservation properties are protected by TNC, state and federal partners. This is a free program starting at the Refuge Visitor Center. For updates to this event, please stay tuned to our Facebook page and website. Address: Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center - 6263 Appalachian Hwy, Davis, WV 26260