The Healthiest Forest

How do forests recover after disturbance? This upbeat, animated film takes you on a 4-minute journey that represents 300 years in the life of a forest. See how structure and biodiversity recover naturally, and how continued management like thinning and harvesting interferes with recovery. Created by the Old-Growth Forest Network, a US organization that “speaks for the trees.”

  • Joan Maloof
    Director
  • Joan Maloof
    Writer
  • Joan Maloof
    Producer
  • David Nuttall
    Animator
  • Lila Wildy Quillen
    Original Score
  • Cpt. "Willie" Dykes
    Narrator
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 5 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 31, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Joan Maloof

Joan Maloof has a PhD in Ecology and she is Professor Emeritus at Salisbury University, in Maryland. Maloof is the author of four books about forests: Teaching the Trees; Among the Ancients; Nature's Temples; The Living Forest. She is the founder and director of the Old-Growth Forest Network, a national organization that speaks out to preserve our nation's oldest forests and connects people with ancient open-to-the-public forests.

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Director Statement

"It is possible that a four-minute animated film will reach more people than all of my books. I have never made a film before, but I will do whatever it takes to share the real story about forests: they don't need to be managed to be healthy!"