Working Woods @ The Holden Arboretum; Kirtland Hills, OH
- Catalyzing Agroforestry
- Jun 25
- 2 min read
Contact
Jessica Miller Mecaskey
Project Name
Working Woods at The Holden Arboretum
The Working Woods Hub and Consulting Forestry
Agroforestry Practices
Forest Farming
Riparian Buffers
Community Food Forest
Agroforestry acreage
2 acres
Years in agroforestry
5 years
Agroforestry Summary
Working Woods at the Holden Arboretum is a 67-acre, nationally recognized, publicly accessible demonstration site, combining research and public education to increase understanding of and to promote best practices in forest management. The site is a part of the Holden Arboretum. While timber management treatments exist at the center of the site, the edges of Working Woods present an opportunity to use agroforestry to demonstrate non-timber forest product cultivation. We have used the ecosystems at Working Woods to demonstrate everything from growing mushrooms on logs, to tapping trees for maple syrup, to cultivating medicinal plants. As of 2025, there are active demonstrations of a small multi-functional riparian buffer, wild-cultivated medicinal herbs, wild-stewarded ramps, and shiitake mushrooms on hardwood logs.
Description
The Working Woods Hub is a network of passionate educators, natural resource professionals, and scientists who seek to partner with forest landowners and other professionals throughout the region to manage, protect, and create resilient forests in Northeast Ohio. We work to increase understanding of — and promote best practices in — forest management in our region, achieved through tried-and-true forestry practices, scientific research, and community outreach. Since it began in 2018, Working Woods has gained national recognition and has grown into a wider network that included programs and skills workshops, Ohio-specific forest management resources, a seed bank, and consulting forestry business that offers personalized advice to individual landowners.
Agroforestry Summary
We have a demonstration site with forest farming areas as well as offer consultation and technical assistance for some forest farming and agroforestry practices through our Holden Arboretum Consulting Forestry business.
Service area
Northern Ohio and surrounding region
Events, training or resources offered.
Field Days, workshops, printed resources, consulting
Links to your website, pages, social media, etc.
Public and Visitor Access
Please contact forestry@holdenfg.org for information on how to visit the demonstration site and about upcoming tours/programs
Links to website, social media, etc.
