Celebrate Arbor Day with Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) as art, ecology, and stewardship are brought together on Friday, April 24, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., for a guided nature walk and exhibition by eco-artist Susan Hoenig. Learn how to play a role in protecting American beech trees and the forest ecosystems that depend on them.
The program begins inside the Mountain Lakes House with a curated viewing of American beech tree artwork by Hoenig. Her work explores the intricate relationships between trees, forest habitats, and biodiversity. She will share the inspiration behind her work and her focus on the American beech as both subject and symbol. Register here for the program.
Hoenig connects earth and art to make visible the relationship between habitat, plant, and animal life. She studies the evolutionary impact of the forest understory. Her exhibition “Uprooted Trees, Magicicadas and Climate Change” was at the Princeton Public Library, sponsored by a grant from the Puffin Foundation; and she was artist-in-residence at the Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve, where she collaborated with FOPOS. One of her leaf sculptures, The American Chestnut, is situated alongside newly planted American chestnut saplings with native seeds. A documentary was made of this restoration project.
Following the talk is a guided nature walk to a grove of beech trees in John Witherspoon Woods with the FOPOS stewardship team. American beech trees provide food and shelter for wildlife, supporting soil health, and sustaining diverse plant and animal communities. Today, however, they face a growing threat from beech leaf disease (BLD), a rapidly spreading condition impacting trees across the region and threatening the long-term survival of beech populations.
Anna Corichi, director of natural resources and stewardship for FOPOS, will discuss current conservation efforts and share FOPOS’ beech tree management plan, offering insight into how the organization is responding to BLD.
