Ways to Love a Forest
Stories of Woodland Stewardship in Northeast Ohio
Forest stewardship is a collective effort.
All around Northeast Ohio, landowners, natural resource professionals, scientists, and educators are engaged in active woodland management. Though their strategies and priorities may vary, they are united by a shared love of land and a goal of increased forest resilience.
Browse the profiles below for a bit of inspiration and guidance in your own forest stewardship journey!
Help restore urban canopy
“Humans, animals, and plants – we all need urban canopy cover. We all depend on one another.”
– Lola Lewis
About me: Great-grandmother, community educator, risk taker. Arborist & urban forester. Trumbull & Mahoning Counties.
Action step: Find out if your city has a tree commission and how you can help, or ask local park districts, land conservancies, or watershed groups if you can volunteer in urban canopy restoration efforts!
Read more of Lola’s story here.
Get to know what’s in the forest
“I’m trying to get people to understand that we are not the only species on this planet! All the other species in the forest have the right to be there and conduct their lives, too.”
– Judy Semroc
About me: Field biologist, naturalist, and advocate for wild spaces. Passionate about community nature education that inspires action. State of Ohio.
Action step: Grab an ID guide or app and go for a walk in the woods. Pick a single forest trail or loop, and try to learn every tree along it. Then, tackle the understory plants and the fungi!
Read more of Judy’s story here.
Explore “goods from the woods”
“From the time I first made maple syrup [at] nine years old, I had the itch. It got in my blood.”
– Bill Belew
About us: Bill & Dee Belew are maple syrup producers, blueberry farmers, people lovers, and stewards of a 200-year-old 40-acre sugarbush. Geauga County.
Action step: Take a woodworking class, learn about mushroom logs, try tapping the sugar maple in your yard, or purchase responsibly harvested timber products from local forests!
Read more of Bill and Dee’s story here.
Consider active management
“I’m realizing that you have to work the land to save it. Before, we were just letting nature run its course, and that’s okay. But this is more intentional, and I think it’s going to do more good.”
– Joan Steidl
About us: Nancy Logan and Joan Steidl are Community educators, readers, animal lovers, stewards of 107 acres of deciduous forest, wetlands and meadow. Ashtabula County.
Action step: Start learning about forestry in your area! Join the mailing list for park/soil and water districts, land conservancies, public gardens, state divisions of forestry, landowner groups, watershed groups, and university extensions to stay up to date about forest-related workshops, webinars, and classes.
Read more of Nancy and Joan’s story here.
Create a legacy
“We don’t have kids, so this land is our legacy. This is everything.”
– Awnhee Hoberecht
About us: Dreamers, travelers, dog lovers, amateur naturalists, stewards of 43 acres of mixed mesophytic forest. Lorain County.
Action step: Are you a forest owner hoping to conserve your land for generations to come? Consider connecting with a local land conservancy to discuss options. Visit LandTrustAlliance.org to find a conservancy near you.
Read more of Awnhee and Mark’s story here.
Those interested in a physical copy of this resource can reach out to forestry@holdenfg.org.
