Woods Whys: An Exploration of Forests and Forestry with Michael Snyder
Tell us about your experience with this online video, click here.
Description
Lauren-Glenn Davitian sits down with Vermont Forests, Parks, and Recreation Commissioner Michael Snyder to discuss his new book as well as updates from the department.
Have you ever wondered how trees “come back to life” in spring? Why paper birches are so white? Or which trees make the best firewood? A new book by Vermont’s Commissioner of Forests, Parks, and Recreation Michael Snyder answers these questions and many others. "Woods Whys: An Exploration of Forests and Forestry" is a collection of essays that aims to teach people more about trees, forests, and forest management—and, by doing so, to help them become more connected to the woods around them.
“My goal in writing this book was to share my love of the woods with others,” says Snyder. “Each essay begins with a question, and while I always tried to answer that question through facts and science, it was important to me to leave room for the wonder and enduring mysteries of forests, too.”
The essays in Woods Whys originally appeared in a column Snyder wrote for many years in Northern Woodlands magazine, and the collection is written for a general audience. The book is designed to be read cover-to-cover or one article at a time, depending on what the reader is curious about. It draws on Snyder’s decades of professional forestry experience, including years spent as a county forester walking through woods with Vermont landowners.
“Condensing complex forest science into topics that are accessible, fun, and easy-to-understand is challenging, and it’s what makes Woods Whys such a great resource,” says Tony D’Amato, professor and director of the forestry program at the University of Vermont. “This book helps connect everyone to the woods, whether they’re novices or forestry professionals.”
Woods Whys is published and distributed by Bondcliff Books in partnership with the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, and is available for purchase online at www.bondcliffbooks.com or Amazon.com, and by phone at 603-444-4880. Copies will also be available shortly in retail establishments across the region. Book events in Vermont are also being planned and details will be available soon.
Featured Story
Applications Now Open for the Spring 2025 Cohort of the Neighborhood Community Media Internship Program
Town Meeting TV is excited to announce that applications are now open for the Spring 2025 cohort of the Neighborhood Community Media Internship program. Join up to 8 other youth to engage in interesting media making projects! This paid media internship opportunity is designed for youth aged 16-20 who are eager to gain professional experience in the audio-visual field and develop a deeper understanding of their local community. The group will meet under the leadership of Town Meeting TV's Travis Washington from the end of January 2025 to the beginning of June 2025, on a schedule agreed upon by the whole cohort. Click here to apply!