A poem written and read by Robert Perschel.

Robert (Bob) Perschel joined the New England Forestry Foundation in April 2012 and retired just this past year, in 2024, though he remains actively involved. In his 40 years as an environmental professional, he has worked on forestry, large landscape conservation, and wilderness issues. Bob worked for the forest industry before establishing his own forestry consulting business and founding the Land Ethic Institute. He then worked in leadership positions for The Wilderness Society and Forest Stewards Guild. Bob has a master’s degree in forestry from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and a psychology degree from Yale College.

See the full poem and accompanying photograph and find additional content in the Spring 2025 Issue of From the Ground Up.

A poem written and read by Sean Prentiss.

Sean Prentiss is the author of Finding Abbey: The Search for Edward Abbey and His Hidden Desert Grave, which won the National Outdoor Book Award, Crosscut: Poems, and Majella: Poems from a Mountain Home. He co-wrote two textbooks, Environmental and Nature Writing and Advanced Creative Nonfiction, and he is the co-editor of The Science of Story: The Brain Behind Creative Nonfiction. He is a professor at Norwich University. He and his family live on a small lake in northern Vermont.

See the full poem and accompanying photographs and find additional content in the Spring 2025 Issue of From the Ground Up.

A report written and read by Marissa Latshaw.

Marissa Latshaw works with mission-driven organizations to build empathetic and inclusive communication strategies that inspire action. She serves as publisher of From the Ground Up and co-coordinator of the Wildlands, Woodlands, Farmlands & Communities initiative, working with partners throughout New England to help bring a more holistic, integrated approach to land conservation. Marissa resides in Connecticut where she’s always up for a walk in nature on her own or with her family.

Read the full piece and discover additional content in the Spring 2025 Issue of From the Ground Up.