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In this episode of Naturally Scott, Scott sits down with Peter Stangel of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities to talk about forests in a way most people never hear them discussed.

Not as scenery.
 Not as hiking destinations.
 And not even primarily as ecosystems.

But as working systems that support both people and wildlife at the same time.

Following recent conversations about saving the American chestnut and protecting the redwoods, this episode steps back to look at the forest as a whole. Peter explains what “forest health” really means, why preservation alone is not enough, and how active forest management can be essential to keeping forests healthy, productive, and resilient.

Scott and Peter also explore how large nonprofits, foundations, and private philanthropy become involved in forest work, and why investing in forests often means investing in rural communities, clean water, wildlife habitat, and long-term economic stability all at once.

This conversation reframes the way we think about forests — not as places we visit, but as systems we depend on every single day.

Learn more about the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities at https://www.usendowment.org

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