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Forest
Windhorse Farm, in the LaHave River watershed, is right in the heart of the Acadian Forest, one of six endangered forests of North America. Although the entire region has been severely abused over the past few hundred years, and especially since the advent of industrial clear cutting, there remain a few remnants of mature, fully functioning Acadian Forest. Windhorse Farm is one such place. Settled in 1840 by the Conrad Wentzell family, the woodlot has been harvested each year for the last 168 years yet has the same volume of standing timber today as it had when the first axe bit wood in 1840. It is, in fact, the longest-standing experiment in sustainable forestry in Canada.
Vision
Our vision for the Maritime Provinces includes the transformation of the entire Acadian Forest from industrial pulp farms to ecologically diverse, socially supportive and economically viable natural forest. Why do we hold this dream? Out of concern for the health, in fact the very existence, of tens of thousands of species of living beings dependent on natural forest. This interdependent web of life is unravelling, torn apart by the forestry practices of the heavy industry. On the other hand, we are confident that sanity in the forest, on a regional scale, is possible. Read more about the history of our forestry practices and our philosophy on Enrichment Forestry
How is it possible? The transformation will come about one private woodlot at a time coaxed along by initiatives such as the Acadian Forest Families, a small and rapidly growing group of certified woodlot owners and makers of wood products who use only certified wood. The by-line of the Acadian Forest Families is “Everyone can bring everyone along.” See what the Acadian Forest Families are doing and how you can join in.
Discover more about the Acadian Forest itself (although the information given is primarily about New Brunswick forests, it applies equally to the entire Acadian Forest).
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