Fisher Museum Video Schedule - 2008

January - Fire in the Woods - 1941
This 30-minute program, distributed by the Ahrens-Fox Fire Engine Company, contains archival footage taken at brush fires around Worcester County during the dry year of 1941. These fires were of especially great concern because many dry, dead trees remained on the ground following the 1938 hurricane to provide added fuel. See how these fires were fought over half a century ago.

February -Growing Smart
This 20-minute program shows how our present local zoning by-laws can contribute to the loss of the rural character of New England towns and then describes some alternative bylaws that could allow development with less impact on the rural character of our towns.

March -The Maple Sugaring Story
Maple sugaring was an early practice of North American Indians and of the European settlers in the New World. And it is still the first farm crop of the year following the cold New England winter. This video interweaves legend, science, song, history and geography to tell the story of the maple industry.

April - Flow of Time: 500 Million Years of Geohistory in the Connecticut River Valley.
This 35-minute program takes you on an incredible journey into the past as recorded in the rocks and landscape. With animations, spectacular video footage and a bit of humor, Professor Richard Little guides you through the diverse events that have shaped this region, including shifting and splitting continents, dinosaur footprints, armored mud balls, the Eastern Border Fault, glacial landforms and Lake Hitchcock, river flooding and more.

May- The Growing Forest: Growth and Management of New England's Oak Forests This 20-minute program describes the ecology and natural development of oak stands in central and southern New England and explains how understanding these natural processes can assist management planning. One segment is devoted to the history of oak stands at Harvard Forest and is narrated by the late Ernest M. Gould, Jr. who described these processes to many visitors to Harvard Forest. The program should be of interest to anyone interested in managing a woodlot as well as anyone with an interest in how our local forests develop

June - Last Log Drive on the Kennebec
Produced by Maine PBS, this video sets the stage for the last log drive down the Kennebec River in Maine, Scott Paper Company's 1976 drive from Moosehead Lake to their Winslow mill. This historical video addresses the impact the termination of the log drives will have on the region. Concern for jobs, the environment, the tourist industry and highway safety are discussed. Interviews with mill officials, woods workers, river drivers and politicians, among others, give voice to these important issues of the time.

July - Hemlock at Risk
This 15-minute program, produced by the U.S. Forest Service, examines the threat to hemlock trees from the hemlock woolly adelgid. This aphid-like insect, introduced from Asia, has killed many hemlocks from the Appalachians into Connecticut and is now present in much of Massachusetts. How serious a problem can these insects be and what are the prospects for their control?

August - The Rise and Fall of Lake Hitchcock
This 45-minute program traces the creation, duration, and destruction of Glacial Lake Hitchcock in the Connecticut River valley as the glaciers were melting 14,000 years ago. Extending from central Connecticut to Vermont, this vast glacial lake left a fascinating set of features that influence daily life today. Discover how to recognize them in the valley today.

September - The Careful Timber Harvest: A Video Guide to Logging Aesthetics
This 20-minute program explains how to plan a timber harvest beforehand to avoid the many potential mistakes which can make harvests look ugly, and gain the benefits that extra attention can offer.

October - The Old Quabbin Valley
This 30-minute program traces the history of Boston's water supply, the construction of the Quabbin Reservoir and the nationwide debate over the urban use of rural water resources. It contains some excellent historical views of the four towns that were flooded during the reservoir's construction and raises a range of questions about the use of our water resources.

November- The Adirondacks: The Lives and Times of an American Wilderness
This 30-minute program, produced in cooperation with the Adirondack Museum, recounts the history of this vast eastern wilderness area practically on our doorstep and addresses the difficult questions facing it today as a result of development pressure and pollution.

December - Long-Term Ecological Research at Harvard Forest
This 15-minute program examines the need for long-term studies in ecology and Harvard Forest's role in the National Science Foundation supported network of research sites established to meet this need. Long-term research at Harvard Forest is described and related to research projects at other sites around the country. The funding from the National Science Foundation under this program was just renewed through the year 2006