Vermont forester Ethan Tapper bought 175 acres of degraded woodland in Bolton, Vermont, in 2017 and began restoring its ecosystem.
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Tapper → buy → ecosystem
The property, which he named Bear Island, had been affected by decades of logging, invasive plant growth and soil erosion.
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he → name → logging
Over the following years, Tapper selectively cut trees, removed invasive vegetation, planted acorns and repaired damage left by earlier land use.
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Tapper → follow → use
He also transformed a rubbish-filled clearing into a pond, where frogs and salamanders appeared within months.
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frogs → transform → months
The woodland now features a diverse forest understory, habitat for several bird species and an orchard containing more than 100 fruit trees.
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woodland → feature → trees
His work has turned the property into a long-term conservation project focused on improving forest health and habitat diversity.
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work → turn → health
How a Vermont forester spent nine years restoring a damaged forest
When Tapper acquired Bear Island, the property reflected its history as pastureland and a woodlot.
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property → spend → pastureland
Earlier logging had removed many healthy trees, leaving behind diseased and poorly formed growth.
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logging → remove → growth
Eroded logging roads crossed the land, while a clearing once used for timber storage was littered with rubbish.
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clearing → erode → rubbish
Tapper began by selectively removing trees to give healthier specimens more room to grow.
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Tapper → begin → room
He also cleared diseased beech trees, stabilised eroding trails and planted tens of thousands of acorns to encourage future forest growth.
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He → clear → growth
His approach combines tree management with efforts to improve the woodland's overall structure.
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approach → combine → structure
A 2025 profile by forestry equipment manufacturer Tigercat described around 30 acres of regenerating forest with a diverse understory among the results of his work.
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profile → describe → work
He turned a rubbish-filled clearing into a pond
One of the most visible changes at Bear Island involved a clearing previously used to store timber.
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One → turn → timber
Tapper and a friend rented an excavator and dug a pond, replacing a rubbish-filled area with a water feature.
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Tapper → rent → feature
According to Audubon, frogs and salamanders appeared within months of its creation, adding amphibians to the wildlife associated with the recovering property.
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frogs → accord → property
The woodland now supports a varied understory, including bracken and several fern species.
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woodland → support → bracken
These plants grow beneath the main forest canopy, contributing to the diversity of vegetation across the property.
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plants → grow → property
Tapper has also established an orchard containing more than 100 fruit trees.
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Tapper → establish → trees
Alongside the pond and regenerating woodland, the orchard adds another distinct feature to the landscape.
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orchard → regenerate → landscape
Birds recorded on the property include American redstarts, veeries, black-throated blue warblers and mourning warblers, according to Audubon.
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Birds → record → Audubon
In 2023, Tapper became one of Audubon's first endorsed foresters in Vermont.
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Tapper → become → Vermont
The programme promotes forest-management practices designed to support birds and other wildlife.
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programme → promote → birds
A conservation easement protects the property
In 2022, Tapper donated a conservation easement on Bear Island, placing permanent legal protections on the land.
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Tapper → protect → land
Such agreements restrict certain uses of a property to preserve its conservation value.
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agreements → restrict → value
The easement extends the project's long-term impact by helping safeguard the woodland beyond Tapper's ownership.
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easement → extend → ownership
It complements the practical work carried out on the property by providing a legal framework for its continued protection.
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It → complement → protection
How Ethan Tapper shared his experience
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Tapper → share → experience
Tapper documented his work in his 2024 book, How to Love a Forest: The Bittersweet Work of Tending a Changing World.
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Tapper → document → World
Drawing on his experience at Bear Island, the book explores forest ecology and the decisions involved in managing woodland.
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book → draw → woodland
Through articles, talks and social media, Tapper also explains how forestry practices can influence ecosystem health.
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practices → explain → health
His work highlights the role of selective cutting, invasive-species management and habitat improvement in caring for forests affected by earlier land use.
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work → highlight → use
Nearly nine years after purchasing Bear Island, Tapper continues to manage the woodland and its orchard.
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Tapper → purchase → woodland
The pond, diverse vegetation and regenerating forest reflect the results of sustained work on a landscape once heavily altered by logging and other human activities.
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pond → regenerate → logging
The Aporia
