The Living Lab at Smokey House Center conducts applied research that explores how agriculture and forestry can support new land-based economies in the face of climate change. We test and trial land stewardship strategies that have the potential to weave resilience and abundance across human communities and the ecosystems they exist within. This work is approached through a collaborative lens that emphasizes the importance of long-term partnerships, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and bottom-up local capacity building.

The Future Foresters Apprenticeship (FFA) will provide passionate young forestry professionals with an opportunity to build their skills and expand their knowledge in the beautiful real-world setting that is Smokey House’s 5,000 acre property. Participants will spend 10 weeks working and learning in a diversity of forested settings across the property, covering topics ranging from basic field skills training, climate adaptive maple production, forest farming, forest inventory, local wood utilization, silvopasture, invasive species management, and much more. The curriculum is designed to not only provide great learning opportunities, but to do so in a context where participants' efforts will be contributing to real work with a meaningful impact on the future health of our forests and our communities.

Participants will form a cohort of six that spend the summer living communally and working collaboratively for 10 weeks on site. There will be ample opportunities to work alongside both Smokey House staff and regional partners.