Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't How to Love a Forest - with Ethan Tapper
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Oct 27, 2025 
Ethan Tapper is a passionate forester and ecologist from Vermont, known for his advocacy of ecological forestry. In this intriguing discussion, he delves into the impacts of climate change on tick populations and shares his personal experiences with Lyme disease. Tapper highlights the importance of restoring degraded landscapes, like Bear Island, and the balance between wildlife and habitat management. He argues for a shift from exploitative practices to stewardship that nurtures ecosystems, emphasizing the long-term benefits of living machine management for our forests.
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Restoring Bear Island From High-Grading
- Ethan bought degraded land called Bear Island that had been high-graded, overbrowsed by deer, and trashed.
- Over eight growing seasons he used targeted management and machinery to restore forest health and habitat complexity.
The Northeast's Second-Growth Reality
- New England forests were overwhelmingly cleared for agriculture in the 1800s then regrew as even-aged, altered forests.
- These second-growth stands lack old-growth structures like deadwood and multi-layered canopies important for biodiversity.
Beavers Shaped Valley Landscapes
- High historical beaver densities created dynamic wetland–forest mosaics and early-successional habitats now largely missing.
- Loss of those processes explains declines of species adapted to open, shrubby, or meadow-like conditions.
