Forest Activities

With 40 acres of ecologically diverse wetlands there are many things to experience in our forest. We have many projects involving the forest ranging from clearing trails to planting trees. The idea of a healthy forest is as important to us as a healthy garden and a part of the farming life. Farming and forestry tend to merge in a sense and the health and state of one impacts the other.

Alder trees are frequently cut down to create poles for tying up tomatoes or fencing. Wood collected in the forest is chipped and used for paths or soil amendments. Rocks are collected and used in various projects such as paths and walls. Even large boulders have been relocated to the farm for both aesthetics and utility. When you visit Maha Farm it’s easy to see that the forest plays a major role in the design and construction of all the gardens.

The forest itself was old growth until being logged, a second growth forest was logged in the early 1990’s and replanted with Douglas Fir many of which are over 30 feet tall now. In some spots you can find older trees that were left from the original forest. Most of the forest is seedlings especially alder and cedar. Some of the other common trees and vegetation are Blackberry, Salmonberry, Salal, Evergreen Huckleberry, Deciduous Huckleberry, ferns, Hemlock, Buddleia, Elderberry, Willow, White Pine, and Big Leaf Maple.

If you are interested in maintaining wetlands and forest you might consider our farm interns program that will allow you to experience our forests while preserving but still making an impact at the same time. Typical work would entail clearing trails (as well as mowing them), moving fallen or dead trees out of the forest, creating firewood, chipping wood, fighting invasive plants (blackberry especially), creating new trails and spots of interest, and other general maintenance work.

Maha Forest Images

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