Author to speak on old growth forests at Fisher Museum

PETERSHAM — Environmental journalist and author Lynda Mapes will be at the Harvard Forest Fisher Museum on Wednesday, Sept. 24, to discuss her new book, “The Trees are Speaking: Dispatches from the Salmon Forest.”

The book was written during a recent fellowship in Petersham and published in spring 2025 by the U. of Washington Press, according to the event announcement.

Mapes’ presentation will focus on old growth forests, connecting the history of the forests in the northeastern U.S. to the history of the forests of the Pacific Northwest. The book begins in Oregon and Washington, where old growth forests support – and are supported by – the region’s salmon. In conversation with Dr. Jerry Franklin, Mapes explores a lifetime of work – including research at Harvard Forest – which led foresters and scientists to recognize the distinctiveness of these spaces.

Mapes is already known to many in the North Quabbin area, based on her initial fellowship at the Harvard Forest over a decade ago, which culminated in the award-winning book, “Witness Tree: Seasons of Change with a Century-Old Oak.”

This event will begin at 7 p.m. in the Harvard Forest Fisher Museum at 324 North Main St., Petersham, and is free and open to the public. No RSVPs are required. Light refreshments will be served. Books will be available for sale and signed by the author at the conclusion of the presentation.

Harvard Forest welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. Those who require accommodations or have questions about the event, contact Outreach Director Clarisse Hart at 978-756-6157 or hart3@fas.harvard.edu.