Hemlock forest in SW Nova Scotia. NTFPs can be more valuable than the wood.
“Non-timber forest products (NTFP) are the goods and services provided by the forests other than conventional wood products (timber and pulp). They include medicinal plants, resins, saps, essential oils, fruits, nuts, vegetables, fish and game, greenery, and a range of ecological goods and services such as clean water, wildlife habitat, and aesthetics.”
Sponsors are UNB, BioNB, Wood Science and Technology Centre at UNB, ACOA, Province of New Brunswick.
Commenting on the wealth of NTFP in mature hemlock forests, Donna Crossland wrote in the Nova Scotia Naturally series
“It’s time to think beyond the wood, to the little-explored world of fungi, lichens and other biota, nature’s pharmacy, that grow obscure and protected by the trees, often requiring forests of great age or decadence to flourish. Imagine celebrating the autumn with our native fungi, not only the matsutakes, but a bounty of other mushroom species that grow in mature to old-growth forests, particularly in autumn: black trumpets, honey mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, chanterelles, and many more. A bounty of flavours, fine-dining, and potential tourism opportunities await us.”
What a refreshing way to value our forests.