Sources of Curiosity
Questions from September 30 walk
How old are the oldest trees in the school forest?
The property that is now the home to the school forest was farmland and pasture from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. Therefore, no trees in the school forest are likely to be more than 100 years old.
Of the many kinds of trees in the school forest today, White Pine and Red Spruce are most likely to have long lives. Eastern White Pine (for which the Pine Tree State is named) can live to well over 200 years. Red Spruce has been known to live for over 350 years.
Why are there many different types of trees in the school forest?
There are several different forest ecosystems in Maine. In St. George, we are near the northern end of the White Pine, Hardwood forest ecosystem, and the southern edge of the Northern Boreal Forest ecosystem. As a result, we see many different combinations of trees in the forests of St. George, including white pine, red spruce, balsam fir, white birch, quaking aspen, eastern cottonwood, red oak, and several others. For more information on forest ecosystems in Maine, see the Maine Natural Areas Program.