Northern Forest “Museum on Wheels” on Tour throughout the Region this Summer, Fall

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 7, 2006

CONTACT:        
Shelly Angers, Northern Forest Center, 603-229-0679 ext 109; email: sangers@northernforest.org

Fair and festival season is upon us! As people gather for these time-honored events, there will be a new attraction rolling into towns and villages, one that celebrates the shared culture of the Northern Forest.

Ways of the Woods: People and the Land in the Northern Forest, the Northern Forest Center’s “museum on wheels,” is an interactive experience designed to build understanding and appreciation of the ever-changing relationships between people and the land in the Northern Forest region of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York. Housed in an 18-wheel truck so that it can travel to people throughout the Northern Forest, Ways of the Woods is dynamic: part exhibit, part live performance and part demonstration of traditional arts and craft traditions.

Supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Ways of the Woods is touring the Northern Forest for the next 3-5 years, starting in Summer 2006, and is certain to attract attention—and provoke thought about the Northern Forest way of living—wherever it goes.

“Ways of the Woods focuses on the idea that the changing relationships between people and the land—past, present and future—define the character and culture of the Northern Forest region,” says Mike Wilson, Senior Program Director at the Northern Forest Center. “When people come to Ways of the Woods they’ll have a great time learning more about the history of the region, but they’ll also be prompted to think about life in the region today and how we can work for a more prosperous and sustainable future.”

“The Northern Forest is one of America’s most important and rapidly changing forest regions. It would be easy to let what is special about the region slip away as we work to address current challenges and build a vibrant future,” says Steve Blackmer, president and founder of the Northern Forest Center. “Ways of the Woods will remind people that tradition and innovation not only can coexist, but also can thrive together—as they have for generations in the Northern Forest.”

The Northern Forest of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York is home to more than 1.5 million people who live in communities surrounded by the largest intact forest in the eastern United States—30 million acres of woodlands, lakes, rivers, wetlands, farms, hills and mountains. The four Northern Forest states share many common elements when it comes to history, culture and economic challenges and opportunities.

Ways of the Woods’ exhibits are both inside the 18-wheel tractor-trailer and under an attached tent. Inside the trailer, attendees will find “Rings of Time,” an interactive exhibit that combines historic and contemporary photos and film footage with traditional music and spoken word. There are also flat-screen video stations that play profiles of people who live, work and play in the Northern Forest, and exhibit cases that display items handmade in the region using native Northern Forest products.

Under the attached tent are several museum-quality kiosks that explain key themes in Northern Forest history, including industry, adventure, conservation and recreation. A logger’s spiked books, vintage skis and ski boots, and a backpack fire pump used to fight forest fires in the 1930s enhance this portion of the exhibit. The tent also holds exhibits tailored for elementary school-aged children, and local artisans and performers will be on hand to demonstrate traditional handcrafts and perform music and dance traditional to the region. Before they leave the exhibit, visitors have the opportunity to reflect on their place in the Northern Forest and share their thoughts with future attendees.

“In order to build hope for the future of the Northern Forest, we must build pride and understanding in the hearts and minds of our youth,” says Jennifer Huntington, long-time educator and Northern Forest Center board member. “Ways of the Woods is an innovative way to excite and engage. It demonstrates the interdependence of community, culture, environment and economy.”

Ways of the Woods will be appearing at the following locations throughout the summer and fall of 2006:

The Northern Forest Center is a private, non-profit organization that mobilizes people to build healthy communities, economies, and ecosystems by working together across the Northern Forest region.

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NOTES TO EDITORS: Photographs Available:
JPG-formatted photographs of Ways of the Woods are available (3x5, 150 dpi, B&W, JPG). Contact Shelly Angers, 603-229-0679, x109, sangers@northernforest.org. Photo credit: Northern Forest Center.