DCNR Secretary Ellen Ferretti has announced a partnership with C.F. Martin Guitar Company. of Nazareth, Northampton County, for a demonstration area at Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center to help educate visitors about sustainable practices for forest health.

C.F. Martin & Co. is providing $25,000 to support the creation of the 15-acre area to showcase a forest in different stages of succession with interpretive signage for visitors on sustainable management practices.

“DCNR is proud of its efforts to manage state forests in a way that protects their future health and allows timber removed from them to be certified as sustainably harvested,” Ferretti said. “We are happy to help showcase a local company that uses certified wood in the manufacture of its products, and appreciate its support in helping us educate visitors on this issue.”

Forest succession involves a transition from fields to shrubs, saplings, young trees and then a mature forest.

“Martin Guitar has been making the finest quality guitars of the finest materials for six generations. We want to make sure that those materials are available for many generations to come,” said Gregory Paul, Chief Technology Officer, C.F. Martin & Co. “That’s why we are passionately committed to sustainability, and we consider our impact on the environment with every guitar we make. We’re very proud to support DCNR in this initiative to educate the public in how our forest resources are managed in a responsible way.”

DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry has written a 10-year Forest Stewardship Plan for the demonstration area.

“The stewardship plan recommends first and foremost controlling invasive plant species, followed by thinning the trees in certain stands to promote those most beneficial to wildlife,” Ferretti said. “Recommendations follow a process that nature would do on its own, but we are simply speeding that process along to give the wildlife-beneficial species a competitive edge.”

The area will include supplemental tree plantings that will likely be done by Martin employee volunteers, as well as a deer exclusion fence to educate visitors about one tool that assists with forest regeneration.

The demonstration forest will be located mostly along the Henry’s Woods Trail, which is one of the most popular at Jacobsburg.

Last year representatives of C.F. Martin & Co. collected sections from four different species of downed trees at Jacobsburg to create a one-of-a-kind Martin guitar to be displayed at the center, which is still in the process of being created.

Today, DCNR officials presented Martin representatives with a unique wooden chair made from the same batch of downed trees.

The center and 1,168-acre grounds at Jacobsburg offer environmental education programs ranging from preschool environmental awareness to high school- and college-level problem solving.

A new building includes a green roof planted with vegetation; solar panels; geothermal heating and cooling; onsite storm-water infiltration; water conserving plumbing fixtures; regionally purchased materials; and high recycled-content materials.

Once the site where the famous Henry Rifle was made, the Jacobsburg National Historic District lies almost entirely within the park grounds.

C.F. Martin & Co. has been creating the finest instruments in the world for 180 years. It continues to innovate, introducing techniques and features that have become industry standards, including X-bracing, the 14-fret guitar and the “Dreadnought” size.

One of the world’s leading acoustic instrument makers, Martin guitars are hand-made by skilled craftsmen and women, who use a combination of new design and techniques along with those introduced by the company founder.

The company is also known for producing high-quality, popular acoustic guitar strings.

Martin guitars and Martin strings are the instruments and strings of choice for musicians around the world, from the icons of rock, pop, country, folk and bluegrass to those just beginning their careers. Connect with Martin Guitar and Martin Strings on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and YouTube.

For more information, visit DCNR’s Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center.

(Reprinted from the November 12 edition of DCNR’s Resource newsletter.  Click Here to sign up for your own copy (bottom of the page).)

11/17/2014