For Gerry Hawkes, a life in the woods was decided at an early age. Growing up on his family’s farm in Vermont, working alongside his grandfather and uncles in the woods and at the sawmill, by seventh grade, he knew he wanted to become a forester. He eventually attended the University of Maine, and even earned a scholarship awarded to the student expected to contribute most to the future of forestry. The money he had saved working on the farm went toward purchasing the land that would become the Hawkes Family Tree Farm. Gerry purchased the property in 1969, and more than 55 years later, he and his wife, Karen, are still actively caring for it. Gerry built their log home from red spruce trees that were dying from acid precipitation, turning the forest itself into both their home and a lifelong project. 

From the beginning, Gerry's philosophy has been consistent: grow a healthy, vigorous forest by removing the poorest trees and giving the best trees room to thrive. He has practiced uneven-age management for decades, carefully thinning stands and encouraging desirable hardwoods and red spruce. Thousands of trees have been pruned—many to a height of 17 feet—to develop future high-quality sawlogs. Recent work has included releasing red oak, sugar maple, black cherry, yellow birch, and beech. Harvests have focused on low-quality or declining trees rather than maximizing volume, and the results are striking. The forest is now estimated to hold 10 to 15 times the economic value it held when Gerry purchased it. 

Gerry has designed and built roughly 2.5 miles of woods roads and developed equipment and techniques to accomplish forestry work while protecting the soil. His roads feature grass-covered surfaces, carefully placed waterbars, and well-maintained culverts. Gerry’s handiwork shone through neither Tropical Storm Irene nor the flooding of 2023 caused erosion or washouts on the road network. 

The forest is also a diverse wildlife landscape. Patch cuts provide sunlight and early successional habitat, while ponds, a large vernal pool, mast-producing trees, and standing snags provide food and cover. Deer, turkey, bear, moose, and abundant songbirds use the property. Gerry has even installed nesting boxes for woodpeckers, hoping that monitoring these birds might provide an early indication of emerald ash borer's arrival. 

Gerry and Karen have hosted public walks and individual tours for landowners and foresters, demonstrating the results of more than five decades of careful management. Gerry also has a long history of speaking and writing about forest health, including his early efforts to raise awareness about the effects of air pollution on Vermont's forests. 

Today, the Hawkes' woods remain a family endeavor. Their granddaughter, now 12, has already declared that she wants to inherit the property and become a forester. She is even thinning her own small patch of saplings and learning to identify trees by their bark. 

After more than half a century, Gerry and Karen have created something much larger than a well-managed forest. They have built a home, a working forest, a haven for wildlife, and a living demonstration of what sound stewardship can accomplish.