Field Work: Territories of Wood(s)

several people gathered on an observation platform looking out onto a large forest below a lightly clouded blue sky

Throughout the Sustainability Design Lab’s second year, students developed a place-based understanding of New England’s woods, while also engaging with experts in a range of related fields. This sequence of field excursions oriented both research and making within a framework of local knowledge and responsibility to wood’s material origins.

Harvard Forest

Located in rural Petersham, MA, Harvard Forest encompasses 4,000 acres of forestland, as well as the university’s Fisher Museum and several research facilities. At Harvard Forest, Territories of Wood(s) participants investigated forest disturbances—generally natural phenomena that affect forest and tree structures over time—via close observation of tree specimens and assessment of forest topography.

students walk through a forest with tall trees towering in the near background
several people in an indoor setting look at a thin cross-section of a tree trunk resting on a table
a student observes tree rings through a microscope
several students stand on observation platform elevated high above forest, with blue sky in the background

Forest Forensics with Tom Wessels

SDL students and faculty toured several sites in southern Maine with Tom Wessels, professor emeritus at Antioch University and the author of Forest Forensics: A Field Guide to Reading the Forested Landscape. Through the lens of forest forensics, observers learn how to uncover the geological history of woodlands by interpreting visual signs of granite erosion, habitat use by native animals, human interventions into the land, and more. 

students stand outdoors around a person, taking notes as they speak
two people look on as another describes the wood of a red oak tree
two people in a forest stand on either side of a large rock covered with lichen
several students stand on an elevated platform surrounded by forest

Lie-Nielsen Toolworks & Shelter Institute

In Woolrich, ME, SDL students gained experience with hands-on woodworking and construction—a key component of Territories of Wood(s)—at Lie-Nielsen Toolworks and Shelter Institute. By engaging with regional businesses that emphasize education and traditional craftsmanship, participants gained practical experience informed by local knowledge and methods of making.

overhead view of hands shaping wood with a hand planer
several people inside a shed look at simple wood frame in the shape of a tiny home
a hand touches a model tool bench
a woodworking table covered with hand tools and scattered wood shavings

The Apprenticeshop

Towards completing one of Territories’ major collaborative projects—the construction of a Norwegian pram sailboat—SDL participants visited The Apprenticeshop, a boatbuilding nonprofit in Rockland, ME. Here students executed a design/build of their boat through a variety of techniques and with such species as black locust, a fast-reproducing tree known for its durability.

students stand around boat inside darkened boat shelter, with light coming in through doorway behind them
several students mill black locust wood in a green outdoor space
three students work outdoors on constructing a wooden boat
a person cuts into a v-shaped piece of tree using a long-handled chisel tool

The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship

Founded in 1993 in Rockport, ME, the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship teaches learners of all skill levels in the art of wood furniture-making, drawing from traditional methods supported by modern technology. Each year the nonprofit studio serves hundreds of students from across and outside the US. As part of the SDL’s year-two curriculum, students observed finished and in-progress work, and heard from founder Peter Korn about the center’s mission.

people discuss a tall wooden structure inside a workroom
several people gathered around a table looking at a lamplit object
students look inside an open wooden cabinet

University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center

Located on the University of Maine’s Orono, ME campus, the Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) is a research, development, and education center focused on material sciences, engineering, and cutting-edged manufacturing. SDL field work took students to the ASCC to learn about its innovations in the area of sustainable wood production, including a 3D-printed house located at the center.

several people wearing hardhats stand in a room with wood-constructed walls and ceiling
students wearing construction hard hats stand inside and observe a full wood enclosure
a person runs a wood beam through a strength-testing machine

More information

Year Two: Territories of Wood(s)
About the SDL