Tour a working timber harvest in Henniker on Saturday

There’s more to logging than just cutting down a bunch of trees, and the Forest Society wants to show people how it’s done in Henniker.

The Society for Protection of New Hampshire Forests will give a three-hour guided tour of an active timber harvest on Saturday, Feb. 14, off Dudley Pond Road in Henniker. Foresters will discuss which trees are cut, which trees are left standing and how logging operations are adapting as New England’s forests evolve due to climate change, invasive species and other factors.

The tour will also look at two tests sites trying out techniques that involve the placing of slash — the debris left after marketable logs are removed — to reduce the damage done by deer as new growth returns.

Professional foresters have already been given a tour.

The walk to Dudley Pond Forest is “a bit of a hike,” said Wendy Weisiger, managing forester for the Forest Society.

The route will take place on skid roads, where logs have been dragged out of the woods, so snowshoes aren’t required, but the terrain is uneven, icy and sometimes steep. Participants must wear foot traction such as microspikes, and hiking poles are recommended.

The tour is set to run from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. “Plan to be outside and away from your vehicle for the full three hours,” the Forest Society said in a release.

Parking is limited, so registration is required at forestsociety.org/events. If weather becomes an issue, registrants will receive an email update on February 13.

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