We are building a partnership-first approach to our research with leading universities, researchers, and institutions, using the campus as a living laboratory. We design projects to measure how ecosystems respond to habitat restoration and agricultural practices. Our partnerships strengthen our approach and help us share our results with all. We are committed to advancing scientific knowledge about ecosystem restoration and management through peer-reviewed, open-source studies. These studies will demonstrate the environmental benefits of stewardship practices and help inform land management and public policy.
“When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
Saving the Eastern Hemlock
Our forest is home to more than 1,000 Eastern hemlock trees, some of which appear to be 300-400 years old. Eastern hemlock is a keystone species in the Northeast, supporting diverse plant and animal species. This vital tree is severely threatened by the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), which is a destructive aphid-like insect that has no natural predator in the eastern United States. HWA infestations lead to decline and eventual death of Eastern hemlock trees, posing a grave threat to forests in our region.
We are working with Mark Whitmore, Ph.D., of Cornell University's New York State Hemlock Initiative to implement the most ambitious research and protection efforts on private land anywhere in the United States. We have chemically treated every hemlock tree found on the property, GPS tagged each tree over 6 inches in diameter, and given each uniquely identified tree a health metric so we can monitor its condition over time. We plan to re-treat every tree on a five-year interval.
“In some Native languages the term for plants translates to “those who take care of us.”
We have collected cones from the ten healthiest hemlocks on the property (trees that have HWA infestation but continue to score high in health metrics) and are working with a specialized grower to propagate seeds from these trees. Our goal is to identify and propagate trees with higher genetic resistance to HWA that we can use in onsite restoration and make available as a resource for others.
Meanwhile, we have started growing young hemlocks in a controlled nursery environment to support HWA predator experiments. In 2026, we plan to infect these young trees with HWA deliberately, and then in 2027, we will introduce biocontrol agents (predatory insects) into this controlled environment and into our native hemlock grove.
Ultimately, our goals are to help scientists develop the knowledge and tools necessary to protect the irreplaceable hemlock, reduce dependence on chemical control, and to educate and inspire other landowners to restore and protect these precious trees and all the benefits they confer.
Prescribed Fire
Prescribed fire is an important tool for restoring and maintaining some ecosystems in the Northeast. We are actively working with research partners, the State of New York, and our local community to study and apply techniques for prescribed burns on our demonstration site.
A unique, threatened, fire-dependent ecosystem, Pine-Oak-Heath Rocky Summit, can be found on high rocky ridges and outcrops in one portion of the main Land Stewards property. The plants of these landscapes coevolved with frequent fires, and they depend on fire to remain healthy. Prescribed fire will be an essential part of our management system for these special lands.
In other habitats, prescribed fire is a useful tool for controlling invasive species and maintaining open meadow habitats free of encroaching woody plants. We are working with partners to develop internal and external capacities to treat degraded lands with fire as part of restoring them to health and maximal biodiversity.
Using fire on the landscape requires expert knowledge and strong community partnerships. We are collaborating with Zachary Prusak, a wildland fire training specialist with Tall Timbers, to create an approach to planning, implementing, and training for prescribed fires.
In New York and the Northeast, many land managers, local communities, and government agencies have a need for training, knowledge, and expertise regarding prescribed fire. New York State has expressed interest in working with more private landowners to safely execute prescribed fire techniques that reduce dangerous fuel loads that can lead to out-of-control wildfires if left unchecked and promote biodiversity and ecosystem health.
We envision our demonstration site as a hub for training and demonstration of this important tool as we seek to engage researchers, land managers, fire departments, government agencies, and others in returning constructive prescribed fire to the Northeast.
Ash Recovery
Land Stewards has partnered with The Nature Conservancy's Trees in Peril program and the Ecological Research Institute in an ambitious new effort to save America's ash trees. Today, many of North America's ash species are undergoing population collapse after the accidental introduction of the emerald ash borer beetle from Asia. Without natural predators in North America, the beetle multiplies unchecked. It has already killed millions of ash trees.
A few mature trees, known as “lingering ash,” have been found in forests otherwise devastated by emerald ash borer. These trees seem to show genetic capabilities to resist borer infestations. By propagating such borer-resistant ash trees, we may be able to contribute to the eventual recovery of these important species.
Working with nurseries and researchers, we are growing white ash rootstock from seed in preparation to graft scion wood from 50 different lingering ashes. We are planting these grafted trees into dedicated, tagged locations on our land for further monitoring and evaluation by researchers.
