Saving the Beech Forest: Disease, Loss, and Restoration at Colhoun Preserve

Beech Leaf Disease has reached New Canaan, threatening the disappearance of our American beech trees. Learn what makes beech forests ecologically important, how the disease works, and what can be done about it.

The American beech is one of the most recognizable trees in our woods, defined by smooth gray bark, coppery leaves that hang on through winter, and a nut crop that feeds everything from black bears to wood ducks. It is also disappearing.

Caused by a microscopic invasive worm that damages leaves before they open, Beech Leaf Disease has swept through Connecticut since it was first found here in 2019. This talk will cover the chemical and silvicultural treatments being used at the New Canaan Land Trust’s Colhoun Preserve to give the next generation of forest a chance. You will also learn what signs of Beech Leaf Disease to look for on your own property and what to do if you find it. This program is co-sponsored by the New Canaan, Darien, and Wilton Land Trusts.

Chris Rizzo, a Yale School of the Environment forestry graduate student and NCLT conservation intern, is currently creating a management plan for the Land Trust’s Colhoun Preserve.