Arlington’s natural landscape has never been static. Over centuries, it has been shaped by both natural processes and human activity. From Indigenous land management practices to colonial agriculture and the clearing of woodlands, people repeatedly transformed the extent and composition of local forests. This lecture will trace these changes through shifts in dominant tree species, the management of the land, and the secondary succession that shaped the wooded areas familiar today.

Join Matt Beres, Executive Director of the Arlington Historical Society, as he draws on his background in forest management and ecology to place Arlington’s landscape within the larger story of forest change across New England. He will explore broad regional trends and the challenges facing New England forests today, including how invasive plants, insects, and diseases have altered forest composition, affected the regeneration of native species, and complicated the future of New England woodland ecosystems.

Wednesday, February 24, 2027
7 Jason Street | 1pm
Matt Beres

AHS Members: FREE
Non-members: $10