From the Kings Co. Advertiser/Register:
“Larry and Greta Goodwin will be officially recognized as Woodland Owner of the Year for the Western Region of Nova Scotia during a public field day on their Hillgrove property this Saturday, Oct. 1.
“The Goodwins manage 93 hectares with a variety of species, some old growth forest, and some new growth stocks. They run a small maple syrup operation on their land and are building and maintaining a growing network of public hiking trails.”
They have also been recognized for their trail work – see Digby Courier.
From Natural Resources 2016 Woodland Owner of the Year:
“Much of their knowledge of woodland management has been passed down to them from Larry’s grandparents who bought the lot in 1912…Current projects on their woodland include managing hiking trails and running a small maple sugar business.
Larry and Greta are both very active members of the board for the Acacia Valley Trail. The trail follows the Acacia brook and takes you through a beautiful woodland. They have spent much of their time working as volunteers to manage the trail and make it accessible to the public. Over the past three years the Goodwin’s and other volunteers have been working on a new section of the trail that travels up the Acacia brook and through much of the Goodwin’s woodland.”
Congratulations and Thanks, Larry & Greta.
The Central and Provincial winner overall winner of the Woodland Owner of the Year Award for 2016 are Matthew and Bonnie Harrison whose property is in Lynn Mountain, Cumberland County. “The Harrison family’s main focus has been long term viability of their 1000 acre woodland to sustain the many values that the property offers. The Harrisons’ lot was previously owned by Matthew’s grandparents who bought it in the 1950s. Matthew is now the owner and has improved the woodland through harvesting and silviculture, developing recreational opportunities, and developing sugar maple and blueberry businesses. For the past six years, the Harrisons have committed to at least 50 acres (20 ha) of selection harvesting each year. This has resulted in a well managed forest with continuous cover for wildlife…Matthew and his family are also living completely off the grid; nearly all of their electrical power comes from the solar panels shown in the image below. These panels power a beautiful home that is made mostly of local wood materials. Their home is a great example of some of the wonderful things we can do with our natural resources in Nova Scotia. ” Read more.
The Harrisons are some very inspiring woodlot owners.
Kudos to NSDNR for recognizing such contributions by small woodlot owners with the Nova Scotia Woodland Owner of the Year Award (WOYA). Descriptions of woodlot operations by winners of this award going back to 1999 make some pretty interesting reading.