BRISTOL-Have you wondered how wood is harvested, processed and used for energy in Addison County? On Saturday, April 30, you can join forest experts, researchers and involved neighbors on a day-long tour exploring woody biomass energy from harvest to processing to use.
The tour starts in Bristol at 8:30 a.m. with a discussion of woody biomass supply and demand and an introduction to the Forest Guild's new biomass retention guidelines for protecting the ecological values of forests during harvests. The tour then heads out to visit recent harvest sites and a processing facility, eating lunch along the way. The day will conclude with a tour of Mt. Abraham High School's wood chip heating facility in Bristol and a group discussion.
Partners in the event include the University of Vermont, Vermont Family Forests, and the Forest Guild. The field tour is part of a larger community-university partnership focused on developing a better understanding of local wood energy options in the Mad River Valley and Five-Town Forest area of Addison County. The field trip is presented in coordination with the Woody Biomass Energy Research Symposium for the Northern Forest taking place in Burlington at the University of Vermont April 28-29.
At the Symposium, researchers from the northeastern U.S. and Canada will present findings on multiple aspects of using woody biomass for energy. The tour is limited to 45 people.
For more information and to register for the field tour or the symposium, visit online at www.uvm.edu/forestcarbon/symposium/.