Make it healthy

Nurturing the Ecosystem (and our future)

Planting the right tree at the right time increases forest health.

Credit: iStock

Your actions as a woodland owner have an enormous impact on two ecosystems.

The first is the ecosystem of your woods. This section will help you identify all the elements of a healthy woodland ecosystem: healthy trees, animals and birds that live in the woods and contribute to their health, other plants that nourish the trees and animals, and adequate air, water and soil resources for them all to thrive. Contrary to what many people believe, today's woods sometimes need a little human help to keep them healthy. And if you have damaged or weakened woods, you'll have to care for them a little more actively until they regain their health.

Keeping your woods healthy also makes you a contributor to the broader ecosystem and natural resources of your county, your state, your country, and ... yes... the entire earth. You might think that your woods are too tiny to make a dent in the big picture. We assure you that's not the case. When our earth is as threatened as it is today, every effort to keep the air pure, the water clean, the soil healthful, and the view beautiful counts.

This section will give you ideas for keeping your woods (and our world) healthy and beautiful.