Acres: approximately 650
Year Conserved: 2017
About the Property: The Forest Society of Maine worked with Bernd Heinrich, renowned author and biologist, to conserve his forestland in Weld, Maine. The Heinrich Forest project conserved approximately 650 acres of forestland located on York Hill adjacent to Mt. Blue State Park. These woodlands have had a significant influence on Bernd’s writing, research, and teaching. Much of his field research, the basis for many of his 20 books, has been conducted here during the past four decades.
The Heinrich Forest project serves as the foundation and provides permanent stability to the lands so they will continue to:
- Conserve an area of old growth containing 150-year-old pines, spruces, and hardwoods;
- Protect Alder Brook that provides habitat for Eastern brook trout;
- Ensure the continued use for hands-on research conducted by students and professors on topics including animal and plant ecology and animal behavior in various habitats; and
- Maintain the historical significance these lands have had since the time of Maine’s early settlers and the influence they continue to provide to American literature.
Read the article from Forest View, spring 2018 about the completion of the Heinrich Forest (York Hill) project.
