Largess In The Community

Garden Time was built to help those formerly incarcerated in the community prepare to jump back into the workforce in the environmental industry. Volunteers from Largess Forestry work with them on their Green Reentry Job Training program where we assist in teaching about the environment and tree care or tree work.

Read the full article written by Colleen Cronin on the ecoRI News website!

On March 23rd, 2023 Matthew “The Twig” Largess was featured in The Providence Journal. The article “How to identify old growth forest in Rhode Island and where to find trees” written by Antonia Noori Farzan discusses the history and key features of old-growth trees that can be found around the state. Click the link below to read the well written article!

Recently, The Old Growth Forest Protection Act H3455, was introduced in the Rhode Island House of Representatives. Matthew ‘The Twig’ Largess is keeping up his involvement with forest preservation and protection by supporting this bill! He personally wrote and submitted the following testimony to the Rhode Island House of Representatives;

“I hereby submit my written testimony for House Bill H5344.

Vote yes for the forest!

I have spent the last 40+ years as an arborist and as the “Voice of the Forest” working with ancient trees— discovering and preserving old growth forests along the entire East Coast on a daily basis. I have become known nationally and internationally, having appeared in hundreds of newspapers, magazines, television and worldwide radio programs as a leading expert on old growth forests and their importance. Old growth forests are rare and extremely important no matter which state or nation they’re in. They are a natural history collection of the natural world, untouched and unaltered by humankind.

We are in an environmental catastrophe.

Science has proven that Old Growth forests are helping prevent climate change. They are great carbon sinks, cooling the earth, supplying oxygen, providing flood control, erosion control, wildlife habitat to rare and endangered species, and are spiritual sanctuaries, as we learned in the pandemic, when everyone went to the forest for hope and healing. This bill does not mean that we still can’t manage part of our forests. It means we are to preserve the old growth sections of our forests, the ancients, forever wild. It means preserving emerging older forests that are soon to become mature and join the old growth system, setting them aside for our children’s future on planet Earth. We are New England. People come from all over the world to experience our fall color, to vacation and hike in our awesome woodlands.

This bill is a statement that we care about our planet Earth and our children’s future. We need the natural heritage program put back in place to study, monitor, and restore our native natural landscape. I’m a huge supporter of the Rhode Island Natural History Survey, which has the longest, continuous, annual Bioblitz. It’s shocking how many unusual species we find at these events and pockets of large, mature trees. RINHS along with the Nature Conservancy and the DEM and other agencies and the creators of this bill are tremendous resources and harbor well qualified passionate personnel. In my travels, all environmental bills that are brought before the citizens usually pass with an overwhelming majority of 80%.

People love the forest. People love the animals that live in the forest. The number one hobby in this country today is landscaping and the green industry. We all burn firewood, live in wooden homes, our newspapers are made out of pulpwood. We can still have the forest products industry and preservation working in union and not against each other. This bill is touching everyone to the core and has gained huge momentum. It will be a turning point on how we can turn the tide in a positive way to our environmental legacy. 

Thank you to the committee for your important work and service to our state. We appreciate your work.

Vote yes for the forest!

Forest Blessings, Matthew “Twig” Largess“

Trees Are In the News! Twig Saves Iconic Trees

Twig was asked by a concerned group of citizens in Redding, CT to help them save their iconic trees, mainly Sugar Maples, Acer Saccharum, which line their beautiful winding roads. Preservation of trees is one of Twig’s passions and he emphasizes working together with the power company and not to pit it as a fight of us vs. them.

“Robert Miller: Should Eversource cut down trees to prevent outages? Arborists and others say no”

Save W. Alton Jones Campus (June 2020)

URGENT - From Matthew “Twig” Largess, ISA Certified Arborist NE 0802, Voice of the Forest

Please be part of the SOLUTION in the preservation of W. Alton Jones Campus, University of Rhode Island educational programs at the legendary natural history campus. This one-of-a-kind forest sanctuary was permanently closed last week with no notice from the University of Rhode Island. We have no answers from the University or the State of Rhode Island. This goes against the mission of the campus, which was deeded to the University in 1964. It states: “Our mission is to provide youth with exciting learning experiences in the natural environment which lead to a heightened sense of responsibility towards improving the quality of life on our planet.”

We want YOU to join us in creating a Friends of W. Alton Jones volunteer group. Thousands of Rhode Islanders and folks from around the world have magical memories from this sacred site. We need to ensure that others have the same opportunity.

We are also collecting memories and experiences from W. Alton Jones (please send your videos and photos to voiceoftheforestalliance@gmail.com). This collection will help to tell the story of just how important W. Alton Jones has been in everyone’s life, and still is to the world.

Join us in saving W. Alton Jones, and in making natural history.

~FOREST BLESSINGS~

The Polar Express Train Ride (February, 2020)

Largess Forestry is proud to annouce that we are the official arborist for The Polar Express Train Ride! Thanks to the Blackstone Valley Polar Express and Blackstone Valley Tourism Council for believing in us. We believe in you (and Santa!), too.