Tom Wessels: Reading the Forested Landscape, Part 1

Tom Wessels is a terrestrial ecologist and Antioch University New England professor emeritus. He has authored a number of books. If you've read "Reading the Forested Landscape" and "Forest Forensics", you know how skilled he is at interpreting the past land use history clues abounding in central New England's changing forests. Learning to apply the knowledge you gained from those books can be time consuming, however, and you probably find yourself returning to the books often.
In this 3-part series, you'll go into the woods with Tom as he covers many of the topics in detail, providing another opportunity for you to enhance your own "forest forensics" skills.
Some of the topics covered in the three parts: New England's stone walls; pillows and cradles; merino sheep craze ("sheep fever"); forests arising on abandoned agricultural land (past hay field vs crop field vs pasture); signs of past wind, logging and fire damage; reading tree stumps; white pine weevils and multi-trunked pines .
In Part 1, Tom covers the topics of New England's maze of woodland stone fences, abandoned agricultural lands, pillow-and-cradle topography, and storm damage.
Part 2 is at • Tom Wessels: Reading t...
Part 3 is at • Tom Wessels: Reading t...
Also, see this story and others at our blog, www.neforests.com
And be sure to watch "The Ecology of Coevolved Species", featuring Tom, at
• Tom Wessels: The Ecolo...
To see more about the white pine weevil, see "The White Pine Weevil's Life Cycle" on this channel at • The White Pine Weevil'...
=======================================================================
A note to users of closed-captions: the captions (subtitles) can be moved to different locations on the screen if they are blocking your view. To move a closed caption, place your cursor on it and drag it. Also, when captions are turned on, there are a number of caption features you can change by clicking on the settings "gear wheel" and selecting "Subtitles/CC", and then "Options".

[@NewEnglandForests]

Please note: you are encouraged to comment and welcome to ask questions, but Tom does not monitor these posts and probably will not personally respond. -Ray

[@alekmayhew1433]

Why. Is he ok

[@Angel-fo6oo]

Wow thank you for this info. Although I don't live in New England I have stumbled across very elaborate Stone fences like this during my journeys through the woods in Pennsylvania.

[@twostop6895]

sheep fever extirpated a lot of native wildlife especially the Catamounts or Mountain Lions, glad to see that New England is reforested and the Catamounts are coming back via Canada, the sheep fever is still present out west though

[@fetusdirt]

Hey Ray, Do people often inquire about getting into the masters program these days ? I was just curious, I've personally been getting into natural stone masonry living in northern Alabama, and its coming to my attention day by day the value of being able to identify some of the Appalachian topography and forests around where I live and work. A great deal of what is on our property is old Native American sites and stone walls and old stone formations that appear to be from farmers around similar time periods. Id be interested in educating myself better in the field.

[@elizabeth2621]

Tom is such an icon I love him

[@ospididious]

Came here to learn about forests... learned about geology, history, ecology, agriculture and a whole mess of other subjects... and forests. Awesome.

[@juniper4009]

in other words, geography!

[@fomoyearsfofofiv8178]

Because it is all interdependent to get a full tapestry.

[@wreckofthehesperas8323]

I never learned so much so fast!!!

[@Battlfieldisawesome]

Welcome to what forestry is!

[@boboala1]

Me too! This guy is like the Imperial Planetologist from the Dune series novels by Frank Herbert! I'm not a newbie botanist/historian but I learned more than a few new things in only a couple of minutes listening to Tom!

[@TheRoadNotTaken11]

I’m in my 70s, and have been a student most of my life. I’ve had a lot of good teachers over these many years, far more than bad ones. But I can say without question whatsoever that Tom Wessels is absolutely the best. The time I spent at Antioch under his guidance made more of a difference in my educational journey than any other person I’ve ever known. The insights offered by the kinds of questions he always asked reverberate within me whenever I’m trying to figure something out. And damned if they don’t always work. Tom, thank you.

[@earthlingsunited2663]

Great video! Great comment! Tell us more! What kinds of questions?

[@stevenmehl721]

So good to hear, really looking forward to these videos, thank you!

[@VideographerExperience]

I had a few teachers like that, there, too, lucky we somehow find these people in our lives.

[@iainstewart371]

Wholeheartedly agreed. There is a lot of learning packed into 35mins.

[@jugghead-1975]

Wow... quite a guy

[@NicksMadScience]

The KZbin algorithm gave me this despite never having looked at forestry videos before, and honestly I’m quite glad it did

[@bmilla35]

This video makes me second guess my career path.

[@colorbugoriginals4457]

Makes me want to go live in a forest, integrated with it so as not to cause great disruption, instead find unique ways to give back. I've never been camping sry lol

[@kingoftheforest101]

Makes me long for a time when Americans could actually make a living and survive on simple farm work. Living happy, peaceful and healthy lives. Nowadays most small farms are more of a side hobby than an actual career and the fast paced hustle and bustle of modern civilization has all but completely overtook the lifestyle of our forefathers. Humans were intended to live simple, stress-free, happy lives. The progression of our civilization will be responsible for our ultimate demise.

[@hourglassrewrite]

That's a sign of a good teacher. This man knows how to inform and inspire. Plus he radiates kindness and passion for his craft. My advice is dont second guess your career path (unless you truly regret what you've learned and spent time on), but rather take this is a venture for new knowledge! Perhaps you could weave it into your life.

[@nickmatavelli7009]

In college right now and ive been debating on switching to a forestry major for awhile now

[@Awyzemanoncesaid]

⁠@@kingoftheforest101old comment but I’ll ask anyway, why didn’t these happy, peaceful, healthy farmers and their offspring continue living their happy lives instead of ending up where we are today.

[@robertwright2177]

Spent most of my working life in the woods, logging and land clearing. Learned a lot in the past 1/2 hour and can't wait to watch the rest of the episodes. Big thank you to Tom

[@SarV1]

My husband's family owns a logging business, I can't wait to show his this series.

[@madisheila6725]

Oof that’s a sad job my man

[@TheSadistNat1on]

@@madisheila6725 RIP forests, what up climate change..can't believe we still clear cut all the forest today..I live in OR n WA, youd think with climate being changed so drastic and it gettn worse by the day we'd save the forests rather than cut em down just for $

[@cacatr4495]

Clear-cutting isn't ethical; it's not the way to log. Selective logging is ethical. If one wants an entire agricultural area for farming, there's the midwestern plains for that.

[@cacatr4495]

@@TheSadistNat1on The cause of that is man's tech, not what they say it is.

[@kenfrank3782]

I’m a huge fan of early American history and never heard this story about merino sheep etc. only 4 1/2 minutes into this video and love it !!!!

[@williammay2332]

Oh, why wasn't the "Sheep Fever Period" taught in school?

[@demeter7958]

Me too. I know about Merino because I’m a knitter but didn’t know its origins.

[@BeKindToBirds]

Right? 4000 sheep being smuggled is a huge feat in the age of sail. I wonder how many ships made the voyage

[@basicbreakfast]

Most history is complete BS, just saying. Unless someone was THERE witnessing it firsthand for themselves, then all they’re doing is regurgitating what was told to them or what they read somewhere. Always question academia, they are the greatest regurgitators of them all.

[@Xosidhe]

I enjoyed the sheep history way more than I thought I would

[@YamakoshiHiroyuki]

I'm seriously grateful for this series and this channel.

[@stephenwilliams681]

Very inspiring. I just retired, was a forester in New Zealand till 1980, and a plant ecologist. In retirement I want to explore the US wilderness and I have personal reasons I want to explore the North East US. I have never been there. Now I have some concepts to apply to what I see. I just love the title - Reading the Forested Landscape. Thanks you for a great video series.

[@fiveeightandten]

Visit the northwest

[@wolfkremen]

Yes, please do some comparison research, what NZ indigenous plants and trees occupy the same niche as the American species.

[@redbeard3946]

I went to the states when I was 17 for a couple of weeks. It blew my mind how different the nature was compared to New Zealand. I hope you can go. It's such a beautiful country I didn't want to leave.

[@elia8544]

The Northeast is beautiful! Beaches, snow, cities, farmland, mountains.

[@Emiliapocalypse]

Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts!! You’ll love it, the scenery and forests are lovely

[@adammarcello9797]

Tom is a National Treasure. Thank you.

[@woodspirit98]

I was in the nursery landscape business for 20 years. After that I did some logging. I learned more about what the forests can tell us in this one video than decades of working with trees. Brilliant stuff.

[@RyanSandorRichards]

The audio engineering for the narration is outlandishly good. Excellent use of the lapel along with post compression and noise cancellation. Most outdoors types show are horrifically windy or rough sounding.

[@jeffwolinski2659]

Agreed!

[@reubenmiller7988]

The knowledge of this man is incredible and his talent at passing it on is just as magnificent

[@goognamgoognw6637]

anybody interested in forest and trees is a great human.

[@whatabouttheearth]

🙄...Many serial killers are interested in forrests and trees for various reasons 😳

[@OB-LA]

I’m glad I stumbled across this. I live in downtown Los Angeles, never been to NH and have really no practical need for this info and yet I find it fascinating. Nicely done!

[@jedklampett8886]

Absolutely love your username! And, like you, I live in Los Angeles Andy at stumbled across this amazingly well done and fascinating video… this man is a marvelous teacher.

[@leimaniax]

Such a pure, simple and real way to see life. How it’s all connected, all linked to things we do today that will change tomorrow. Great reasons to do good, and to appreciate nature far more than we do. Thank you for sharing, and thank you Tom, for being Tom.

[@juniperfox1064]

I like this guy, he knows his shit. I went on hikes with him in Maine with one of my classes in high school and he could identify everything.

[@crunchyburrito2257]

I had to stop watching 9 minutes in to give myself a few days to process everything I learned in just that 9 minutes. Insane content

[@bigboncho]

How could you possibly need a few days to process that info?

[@jasongclj6945]

same. its alot.

[@Xosidhe]

I tried watching the cradle and pillow part a couple times, but I was too dumb to follow it 😅

[@arglechewyshoe]

@@Xosidhe Ever see an uprooted tree? Google if you haven’t. The roots sticking up from the ground decompose and form the pillow. The cradle is where the roots used to live before the tree fell over. Now picture the tree standing upright, and how it would have needed to fall to form the pillow and cradle, and then you can imagine which direction a storm wind came from to knock it over.

[@retardationnation869]

As a young man who's feeding and cultivating his love for ecology and native habitats, this series is a true gem.

[@mjhenry2885]

Excellent series, this answers so many questions about things I have seen in the woods on hikes but did not know how they evolved! Thanks to Tom's fascinating discussion I will be looking at the forest with a new appreciation of what took place.

[@NewEnglandForests]

Thanks for commenting, MJ. We expect to be starting another film with Tom this May. Looking forward to it.

[@jilltribley6821]

What a generous man to freely share the knowledge he's gained over decades of experience. I'm so grateful I came across this series! Watching from Pennsylvania on a snowy day.

[@oliver6287]

I’m literally so EXCITED right now! This is literally all me and my brothers talk about when we go metal detecting

[@Emiliapocalypse]

That sounds fun. What’s your favorite thing you’ve ever found?

[@basedbuddha666]

This video has changed my life. I've spent all my life in woods, farming, permaculturing, trail running, river tubing, canoeing... just sitting. My knowledge is vast but miniscule at the same time. In the forests and mountains of North Carolina I constantly am reading the history through topography but missed some links. You have shown me what I want to do with my life. Sure, I'm an electrician.... but this is what I will be doing for rest of it. Reading the land and spending my life becoming intimate with it.

[@rickmazzotta2401]

I've spent a lifetime with trees in Northeast Ohio. From planting, growing, reading them in their natural habitat. Arborist, plantsman, horticulturist, designer....all have given me a decent living. I have this love affair with mother nature that never seems to end. Take a winter day and park you arse against a large tree in the woods. Before you realize it they will be talking to you. I will caution you though...she is tough and unforgiving...but her beauty only gets better with age. I've never regretted my lifes choices. I doubt you will either. Have fun!

[@mikelisacarb]

Starting about a dozen years ago? ...... I really started enjoying his book, "Reading The Forested Landscape". So much more info to inform my hikes through New England. Then, he came out with an illustrated version a few years back, and that was just fantastic! Well, this series is the icing on the cake! Everything is explained and presented in video! Perfect! I am greatly impressed at how this video is produced! Tom Wessels is given plenty of time to communicate each idea, and quick clips are added to further illustrate things. First rate!

[@NewEnglandForests]

Thank you, much appreciated. Tom is a great teacher, and has a lot of fans in New England.

[@Kuhlyedascope69]

my buddy and have been going in our woods for years smoking pot with questions of the past. Thank you

[@NewEnglandForests]

I think I can believe that.

[@44musher]

Your probably reflecting on deep philosophical questions...

[@HarrisonCountyStudio]

😎

[@TheRiskyBrothers]

This is that environmentalist/historian crossover content I crave.

[@paulhosek3456]

Regarding the stone walls....When the low lands were deforested for ag, a phenomenon called frost heave occurs. Basically what happens is the exposed soil layers freeze deeper because there is no blanket of vegetation. The soil will then push up stones when it freezes during winter faster. Also, since the pastures were lowlands there were more stone to push out of the ground due to geologic weathering. Every spring the farmers would carry off all of the new stones. Walls were the convenient way to move the stones away from the pastures.

[@paulhosek3456]

opps looks like you explain this half way through sorry.

[@xviiib9353]

He mentions exactly this around the 15 minute mark.

[@delucain]

Isn't that exactly what he explains in great detail?

[@wyrdo1501]

so pretty much what he was talking about around the 15:00 min mark?

[@disengronkulifactice]

“Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,/ That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,/ And spills the upper boulders in the sun; /And makes gaps even two can pass abreast ... No one has seen them made or heard them made,/ But at spring mending-time we find them there./ I let my neighbor know beyond the hill;/ And on a day we meet to walk the line/ And set the wall between us once again.” -Robert Frost

[@SatanRomps]

This channel is criminally underrated.

[@BRBIII]

Just wonderful! Felt like I was back doing a walk with my undergrad ecology prof! Well done.

[@NewEnglandForests]

Thanks Ric. It's rewarding and encouraging to get positive comments, they're always appreciated. Tom deserves all the credit, he's quite a knowledgeable teacher. Ray

[@BRBIII]

Shared it via my twitter account, too: twitter.com/UntilDarwin

[@ThecrazyJH96]

@@NewEnglandForests 2021 and watching your videos before checking out Caledon Statepark near my home!

[@NewEnglandForests]

Hi Joe... hope you make some good finds out there. Enjoy!

[@wrobelmike]

Totally! It was my favorite class, too.

[@patrickdavis99]

This guy has style, love his beard, and wearing that baldness proud. Such a boss.

[@HighWealder]

Came across your video by chance. Very interesting and informative. I'm on the other side of the pond in South East England and its great to compare your reading of the woodland with mine. I have 'ancient woodland ' , so it's been forested for at least 500 years but has been continuously managed for various purposes. Lower areas on heavy clay, planted with Sweet Chestnut (coppiced for poles in the hop fields) and with Oak standards. Chestnut now suffering rot and being replaced by self seeded Birch and Sycamore Maple. Higher ground on sand, remnants of ancient coppiced Oak with multiple stems and Hornbeam . Then was overplanted with Chestnut, but didn't do so well, so 40 years or so they planted Scots Pine. I have spotted several circles from charcoal burning,(for local iron industry) and saw pits for wood. Also high cut (pollarded) Hornbeam marking end of a coppice sector.

[@Ed-hz2um]

Wow, a genuine forest detective! We have 90 acres in the southern Adirondacks and I'm always finding rock walls, barbed wire, etc. Now I have some idea what those are there for. I'm absolutely going t purchase Tom's books and learn more. Fascinating!

[@chahineyalla4838]

I haven't learned so much in a very long time. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[@barms9768]

This needs way more views. True knowledge with an understanding of historical evidence shown in a practical and concise format.

[@lukeeagles1756]

Well this was great! So the woodlot i bought here in New Brunswick im building on seems to be 18 acres of 12 original wood lot and 6 pasture at the far end abandoned around the mid 70s with a wire fence along the back to an old field thats been logged out in the 90s. I know I'm going to do a lot of walking in the spring after the snow melt! The growth, tree falls, and ups and downs makes it hard to do when the leaves are on can hardly see 10 or 20 feet in front of me in the places around where I cut out. The previous owner used to cut out his fire wood in here about 10-15 years ago. Lots of thin bushy stuff and huge poplars, many rotten in the middle, like a sponge about 350 feet off the road where im building. Took a lot of cutting and thinning. Been saving all the maple. Just taking anything out close to the cabin.

[@kentpool7414]

Outstanding video. One of the best I have ever watched. Thank you.

[@johnlewis1640]

This is a wonderful video, I've lived in Connecticut my whole life and find every hike in the woods a good opportunity to learn all about history.

[@Portlandarcade]

This makes me want to get out in the woods and explore. My family has around 100 acres in Maine and I’m looking forward to showing what I learned here to my kids this summer. Thanks for rekindling my interest in nature.

[@natural1952]

I want to own land in northern New England. I'm older (69) but I have the resources now. My wife will think I'm nuts but I think it has to happen.

[@Emiliapocalypse]

100 acres in Maine! Incredible, you are very fortunate. It’s a beautiful place, I just went up there from MA for some bbq and taking in all the trees was spectacular

[@NemeanLion-]

I understand why this has almost 1 million views. I had no idea that you could just walk into a forest and look at the trees and earth, and it’s entire history can unfold right before your eyes. I would also like to say, that I have used Tom’s methods to determine past crop fields in the forest where I visit. I found a couple of stone dumps, but what really gave it away was one part of the forest was uneven with pillows and cradles and the other half was completely smooth. I never would’ve realized this if I hadn’t watched these video’s. Thank you Tom.

[@hyenaedits3460]

Not sure why KZbin recommended this to me but I'm glad it did. Fascinating stuff.

[@rickkearn7100]

Phenomenal logic. I've spent the better part of sixty years trapesing around central New England forests and all of this knowledge has given an answer to all of the questions that arose in my mind as I did so. Tom Wessels is not only "skilled" in his assessments, but he's also a visionary. This is a tremendous revelation for any New Englander used to mucking about in our forests. Well done! BTW this presentation took a very dry subject and turned it into a riveting presentation. I could NOT stop watching once I stumbled upon it. Cheers.

[@FrostyCranmer]

I love the outdoors & you’ve answered so many questions I’ve always had. So much respect to you and your knowledge!

[@ibeetellingya5683]

I've been hoping to meet a forest guru for 'bout 50 years. I go hiking with my dog in a forest several times a week. Now it's like I finally got the glasses I've needed.

[@trufflemumkins188]

This feels like a PBS show my fam and I would watch on a Sunday afternoon

[@garydodson6737]

Fantastic!

[@OzMan9989]

These videos are awesome. I have been looking for this kind of commentary and insight for a long time to help me understand the natural world around me. I am glued to this series.

[@cedricburg8374]

Beautiful! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@VTKingdomsawing]

It's rare to find someone that can read a forest so well! I'm enthralled! What I really enjoy is reading the soils above the rivers to estimate the depth of waters flowing down thru the Connecticut river valley from Canada by the type of deposits. It must have been an incredible sight as glaciers receded. My property is just south of St Johnsbury where the Connecticut river bumps into the shores of Vermont Rte 5 and turns south as it goes along the border with NH. It's a fascinating and beautiful area.

[@YouTubezzzzz]

I’m 24 minutes in and this is absolutely incredible. I feel like I’m on a paid hike/ history/ intellectual geographical lesson about current and historical events about forestry and more specifically the northeast

[@valvopaul]

I am so impressed and amazed at the wealth of knowledge you have! I am captivated when you speak. I have been trying to evaluate my mom’s property in NE Pennsylvania. You taught me so much in just this short video. I will most definitely read your book! This is just the kind of information I was looking for. Thank you for educating me.

[@caw2161]

WOW! I'm 60 YO and I always wanted to be a Park Ranger/Ecologist, but didn't follow my childhood dream. Your delightful personality and informative knowledge of forests make it intriguing to learn what I always wanted. Subscribed, allowed notifications, and liked. Thanks for bringing out the kid in me.

[@jaydee3046]

When I was in 3d grade in 1959, we were taught the stones for New England fences were from glacial deposits, and had been pulled from the fields as they were worked. Newer stones were supposed to be emerging as well, so the landowners never stopped culling them and needed a place to stack them, like a fence.

[@alwayslearning3671]

This spring I'll be walking my woods with a lot of new information. I already have seen a stone dump, a few pillows and cradles, and barbed wire going through a line of old trees. Thanks for the lessons. You've got a new subscriber.

[@KennyMedium]

Great video! Recently learned about old-growth and sparked my interest in forest-life. Can't wait to watch the rest in this series. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!!!

[@epimedium21]

I don't know how anyone could downvote this. Tom is the best!

[@fargusdetailedmodeling]

This guy is my "spirit animal". I absolutely love going into the forest and discovering old stone foundations, logging railroad right-of-ways, old culverts, Native American trail markers and tons more forgotten, lost or forgotten relics and signs from our past! This video is like therapy! Thanks for taking the time to film it and post it!

[@danmurphy9760]

absolutely phenomenal knowledge being passed here. I visit the old hemlock forest in Wachusett quite frequently and this is all invaluable to understand the fingerprint of the forest. thanks tom and new england forests crew.

[@NewEnglandForests]

Thanks Dan... happy to see that you appreciate the old growth on the mountain too, we should allow much more land to return to old growth. Ray

[@KennyMedium]

Hi Dan, is that the old-growth near the top of Wachusett? I recently read about it after visiting Sheldrick Preserve in NH. If so, do you have to hike to the top? Thanks!

[@LostMountainRestoration]

Great job! So refreshing to hear and learn from an expert. I spent a few years of my youth picking stone off of plowed fields. It was an awful task.

[@chrisa8799]

This is low key one of the more interesting videos about the outdoors

[@growingrobin]

I ADORE how nerdy all of this was. Thank you! 💚

[@vincentlaguardiagambini5702]

Hands down the most informative video I've ever watched on KZbin. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.

[@pollymonopoly8803]

What an incredible analysis! 👌🏽 Great video!

[@Ancestors-of-the-4-Directions]

This is one of the best videos I have ever seen.

[@DavidCunningham65]

Well - now I am going to see pillows and cradles every time I'm in the woods! Great documentary/show/video

[@susanharris5926]

What an interesting and lucid explanation of forest scenarios that I have seen but not realized the significance of. Great presentation!

[@frankstewart8346]

The absolute highlight of my month thank you sir. This explains so much for me. From around Albany NY. Area Schoharie valley. Great information 👍👍

[@michaelciarla3836]

This guy is awesome! He's got one hell of a memory that's for sure. I came here because it said New England forest and I'm missing New England everything, "Vermont". Because I'm down here in Texas.. Instead I got a history lesson, and a geography lesson. Great video 👍

[@bullitt7544]

I knew it. I knew it. You ARE a TEXAS RANGER for Trees. How Cool is that. I watched Part 2,3, and now 1. Great Show, Really Great Show.... :)

[@loriminnesota1870]

Not sure how I came upon this video, but the most interesting thing I've seen on the internet in ages! WOW! Fascinating stuff and does this guy ever know his stuff. Looking forward to watching Part 2 and 3!

[@commmander]

I'm impressed with the interesting, detailed, well researched, and engaging presentation on information that havent found to be readily available. I appreciate the lesson.

[@atlasiroh5095]

Incredible. Thank you for sharing!

[@boboala1]

Tom, I was very educated/entertained by this video! I am a lifelong learner, botanical & historical dilettante and enjoyed your wise analysis of the habitat around you! A couple of questions/statements I have: 1) We don't have any Merino sheep here in Missouri. Why? Because NH has still got all 6 million of them there! ;) 2) Why don't the Merino sheep have a tail? 3) I've reported you to my local Sasquatch/Skunk Ape sightings group...and...we have our suspicions about your cranium shape No worries, mine is shaped like a cinder block...so...yeah...I've been dealing with it for 62 years, and you're way ahead of me! 4) The pine weevil growth anomaly was interesting. (Glad it wasn't from an invasive species!) We got the Emerald Ash Borer going on here in MO...and friggin' Zebra Mussels (no more john boat hauling)...and big jumping White Asian Carp (hit you upside your head, knock you outa the boat & have killed people in OH River)...to name a few. (Just this summer some lady found a rather too-large lizard for MO in her yard...and it was a Fenmu? or tropical species...who let that loose? Almost like the Cobra infestation in Springfield, MO in the 1950s...Google it if you've not heard about it!) Well, hell, now I'm getting all factoidy/historical - like you! I think I should subscribe!

[@jonsnyder5833]

Great collection of videos. You have made me so much more observant when I am on hikes and I am able to pass on all this information to my kids. Tom Wessels has some great books out there too!

[@NewEnglandForests]

Hi Jon, That's a wonderful compliment, and I appreciate that you took the time to write it. Thank you! Ray

[@rockjeep188]

Wonderful video. Your teaching style is so pleasant and captivating. Everyone strives to have as much expertise in their field as you obviously have in yours.

[@Illmatic1989]

Soon as you said “forest forensics” I was immediately hooked 🪝

[@nativenygardens187]

so much awakening info 🙏

[@AbsurdlyOutdoors]

This might be the most interesting video I have ever watched, I was unaware of even the simple concepts at the start of the video like pillows and mounds being formed by down trees - but he took that to a whole other level talking about wind patterns and directions - then when he started aging the trees on the mounds and confidently estimating which particular storm knocked those trees down I nearly lost my mind. This is so cool!

[@take5th]

Have wondered about those walls, and more regarding forests, for 50 years. I’ve wondered if related to depression era work programs but seem to pre-date all that. Also thought they may represent practical rock clearing to borders of land owned, but for what? Totally unaware of sheep fever. Thank you!

[@OwlMoovement]

I don't know how this came up in recommendations, since I haven't been actively searching for it, but I'm a permaculture nerd and a CG hobbyist looking to understand geomorphology, and the apparent chaos of landform at all scales, better. This tickled every one of those fancies. Thank you Tom.

[@bassfacekillah]

This guy's vocal cadence is so satisfying to listen to. fascinating video

[@reijerlincoln]

Great content, great story telling. Tom should be a guest panel member on the BBC TV program QI.

[@marcsutherland1284]

Thank God for the fine work Tom Wessels has done over his career. He has made ecosystems and their history more fun and accessible for hundreds of thousands of people including myself. Thank you also for posting all the fine work on this channel. Marc Sutherland

[@a.g.s.1680]

No, you can just thank Tom.

[@harryfatcat]

Fascinating. Thank you!

[@thatisyourname]

Fascinating!

[@alecgillman5168]

Hey Ray, just took some time to peruse your New England Forests episodes. Great job on this Tom Wessels series. A great compliment to the book. See you (and Bob L.) out in the forest again sometime, hopefully someday soon.

[@NewEnglandForests]

Hi Alec, thanks very much. Can’t go wrong with Tom! Nice to hear from you, and yes, hopefully we can all get out for “tree time”.

[@pprehn5268]

You're as much a history teacher that explains 'history' through the land

[@realbartlett8882]

Some bits of this I knew, but we will never look at our 100 acres of woods the old way again. Thanks so much.

[@amgeezy_2709]

Wow. So glad I stumbled on this. Learned so much interesting info.

[@KAFKUBA]

Incredible...lived here my entire life and never knew for sure about all of this but only assumed...I knew they cleared stone for farming but not sheep and all this other history

[@oldcountryman2795]

Absolutely fascinating. Someone needs to get this man together with a graphic artist who can bring to life the landscapes that he's describing.

[@MomWentBackpacking]

Wow!!!! Thank you, sir!

[@raydizon9669]

Thank you so much for sharing

[@ahlersthomas]

I’ve just discovered your ‘reading the forest’ series. Fascinating! Thank you. Do you know of anyone who does what you do for the forests of the Pacific Northwest where I live?

[@forallthatisunreal]

Mick Dodge 😉

[@evanseyfried]

would love to find this, too!

[@jamesdriscoll_tmp1515]

Sort of; Nick Zentner, a geologist, has it least one video about using dead trees and soil profiles to date subduction earthquakes. Come to think of it, some of his ice age flood videos have discussion of desert and scrub botany and soil islands missed by the waters.

[@johnf8064]

I live in northern California, I was wondering the same. I would imagine there's a lot of crossover in the science.

[@MrHelterskalter]

New England has some of the nicest woods on the planet. I wish they would stop developing them, we're losing out on the most gorgeous country in our backyards.

[@londonpickering8675]

Fascinating. Thanks for posting.

[@JamesJohnson-zu9mg]

Great video! Very instructive. I will forever look at forests in a new way.

[@Robinsvideos2011]

Fascinating!!!! I learned a lot!

[@caseydoodlegirlartforte2569]

This is so awesome! Thank you so much for the knowledge!!

[@MittyNuke1]

Fascinating. I don’t know anything about trees and stuff but I live in Rhode Island and those stone walls in the woods are all over the place. This guy knows so much about this subject, very nice to learn from him.

[@ered203]

Fascinating.