Finding first-growth forests in the Adirondacks

Michael Kudish to lead talk April 25

PAUL SMITHS, NY (04/10/2012)(readMedia)-- Ever wonder what the Adirondacks looked like hundreds of years ago?

It's easy to find out – if you know where to look.

Long-time Paul Smith's College professor Michael Kudish will return to campus on Wednesday, April 25, to discuss "Adirondack First Growth Forests: How to Recognize and Map Them."

Kudish will speak at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the Freer Science Building. His lecture is free and open to the public.

"Many people are curious to see what Adirondack forests looked like several hundred years ago before the effects of Europeans on the landscape," Kudish says. While there are still many original forests, though, Kudish says no one person knows where they all are, and how much exists. His lecture will offer techniques on recognizing and mapping first-growth forests, and estimates on their extent.

Kudish, professor emeritus at Paul Smith's, retired in 2005. He currently lives in the Catskills, where he continues to write; his works include books on the vegetation of the Adirondacks and a multi-volume set about the history of railroads in the Adirondacks.

The event is sponsored by the college's School of Natural Resource Management and Ecology and the student chapter of the Society of American Foresters.

About Paul Smith's College

At Paul Smith's College, it's about the experience. Our programs, in fields including hospitality, culinary arts, forestry, natural resources, entrepreneurship and the sciences, draw on industries and resources available in our own backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere.