Friends of Manchester Trees Hosts Best-Selling Author and Forester Ethan Tapper at Annual Summer Soirée

On Tuesday, June 23, the Friends of Manchester Trees (FOMT) welcomed members to its Annual Summer Soirée at the Manchester Yacht Club.  The evening featured special guest speaker Ethan Tapper, forester and author of How to Love a Forest, winner of the 2025 New England Book Award for nonfiction.

Founded in 1973, FOMT has long served as the primary benefactor for the planting and care of public trees in Manchester-by-the-Sea.  Everyone in town is welcome to join this community organization. Spring 2026 plantings included thirty-four new public native trees and significant landscaping at the Post Office.

Early in his presentation, Tapper captured the audience's attention with a somewhat surprising statement: “Planting a tree is the easy part.”  His message was clear: we all need to be stewards of the landscapes we care about.  FOMT does more than plant trees; it cares for them over time.  Managing and tending forests is a long-term commitment that never truly ends.

Tapper noted that most forests in New England are relatively young, with very few remaining old-growth forests.  The forests of Manchester are no exception.  Today, forests and trees face increasing challenges from what he described as “global change”—a term that encompasses climate change, biodiversity loss, invasive species, emerging pathogens, deforestation, and changes in water cycles.

Rather than taking a hands-off approach, Tapper argued that people should actively help forests and trees thrive.  Communities can plant native species, promote biodiversity, provide supplemental water when needed, remove invasive plants, and address deer overpopulation, which can prevent the successful regeneration of young trees through excessive browsing.

He also emphasized that forests are more than collections of trees.  They are complex ecosystems that build soil, clean air and water, store carbon, and provide habitat for insects, birds, and other wildlife. Preserving large, connected areas of forestland, he noted, is essential to maintaining healthy ecosystems.

The evening concluded with a renewed sense of inspiration and hope.  The annual soirée not only celebrated the accomplishments of Friends of Manchester Trees but also reinforced the community's shared commitment to environmental stewardship and the long-term care of Manchester's trees and forests.

Jody Morse is executive director of the Friends of Manchester Trees.