The story of the American chestnut tree is a great reminder of just how much forests can change in a short time. Chestnut was once the dominant tree across much of our continent, providing food, shelter, and economic opportunity to generations of Appalachians. So where did the chestnuts go? And will they ever come back?

We are joined this week by Cassie Stark of the American Chestnut Foundation, and Zoe Bergman of the Virginia Department of Forestry to learn all about this once ubiquitous tree, how we came to nearly lose it from the landscape, and what is being done to restore it. 

Keeping hardwood forests healthy and productive requires intentional management and on-the-ground expertise. We are talking this week with Joe Rossetti, of the Virginia Department of Forestry's Hardwood Initiative. Learn about the management practices that the department employs and some innovative incentives that are helping expand the program's impact.

It's not Halloween, but it's a great time to learn about bats and their habitats. This week, we talk to Leslie Sturges of Bat Conservation and Rescue of Virginia to find out all about these flying mammals, the challenges they face, and how we can help them.

What even is an invasive species? While many species  that we have across the landscape are non-native, some are particularly harmful to native ecosystems.  Getting these invasives under control is a persistent and increasingly challenging task. While daunting,  there is a broad array of solutions for landowners looking to do their part. In this week's episode of The Hardy Woods Podcast, we dive into the past, present, and future of invasive species with Zoe Bergman of the Virginia Department of Forestry to talk about how we got here and what we need to do to save our native ecosystems.

Is bourbon a forest product? Most of the flavor of bourbon comes from the wooden barrel it's aged in. By law, bourbon must be aged in a new charred white oak barrel, but like with all oaks, regenerating white oak is becoming increasingly challenging. Fortunately, industry has taken notice and has formed the White Oak Initiative, a diffuse group of stakeholders ranging from academics, industry professionals, and government, to head off this issue and bring white oak regeneration back to our eastern woods. On this week's episode of The Hardy Woods Podcast, we talk to Dr. Jeffery Stringer of the University of Kentucky to talk about white oak's role in landscape and what it means for the wine and spirits industry.

What about the birds we don't see? We've made tremendous progress for birds in the past and many iconic birds have bounced back from severe population declines. Whether for bald eagles, turkeys, you name it, we've moved mountains for birds. Efforts to conserve birds have even crossed borders with laws such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. Today, a special little migratory bird is under threat, the golden-winged warbler. Golden-winged warblers are facing some of the most significant population declines amongst songbirds. Small and hard to spot, bringing this bird back to the landscape is a complex issue. In this episode of The Hardy Woods Podcast, we talk to Amanda Duren of the Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture and  dive into the golden winged warbler and the role forest management has in conserving them.

Are forest fires a good thing? When most people think of forest fires, they might imagine the destructive wildfires out west. But for our forests in the Eastern United States, hardwood forests are going through dramatic changes in species composition due to a lack of fire in the landscape. In particular, fire suppression policies have contributed to a precipitous decline of young oak forests. On this week's episode of The Hardy Woods Podcast, we talk to Dr. Daniel Dey of the US Forest Service to talk about what can be done to save these amazing trees and why simply bringing back fire isn't enough.

Should we cut trees for quail? Most people don't think of quail when they think about forest management, but good forest management decisions are key to bringing this iconic game bird back to the landscape. In our first episode of The Hardy Woods Podcast, we dive deep into quail and quail conservation with biologist Cathryn McVicker and learn more about why quail have disappeared, managing our forests for quail, and what help is out there for landowners who want to do their part.