Sarah Adloo News Today

Eastern Kentucky University’s Lilley Cornett Woods Appalachian Ecological Research Station in Letcher County was inducted into the Old-Growth Forest Network (OGFN) on June 13, 2023. Sarah Adloo, executive director of the Old-Growth Forest Network, conveyed the distinction to Curtis Cox, manager of Lilley Cornett Woods and Dr. Stephen Richter, director, Division of Natural Areas at Eastern Kentucky University.

Old-growth forest can do things younger tree stands cannot, ecologists say. Older forests may sequester more carbon and harbor increased biodiversity. Now, the people who love these rare, complex ecosystems say they need protection.