Kennebec Estuary Land Trust will host Jack Witham’s to talk about the ecological role of small mammals and what population trends say about local forest health. Photo courtesy Holt Research Forest via Kennebec Estuary Land Trust

The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust will host a discussion Thursday, Feb. 18, at 6 p.m. via Zoom on the roles of rodents and how their populations tell stories about forest health. Jack Witham of the University of Maine’s Center for Research on Sustainable Forests will showcase the 35-plus years of small mammal research he’s guided at Holt Research Forest in Arrowsic.

Holt Research Forest consists of 300-acres owned by Maine TREE Foundation. It is the site of long-term ecosystem research in a mid-coast Maine oak-pine forest.

The discussion will also give insight into topics such as the abundance of undesirable invertebrates like ticks, how local forests are changing over time and the impacts of our changing climate on native wildlife.

Registration is free and required in order to receive the Zoom link for the presentation, which will be sent to registrants before the event. For more information and to sign-up, visit kennebecestuary.org/upcoming-events or call (207) 442-8400.