Mechanical thinning project promotes biodiversity and sustainable growth

Murray Reeves Forestry tests new approaches to enhance forest resilience

For generations, the Reeves family has worked in the forests of Nova Scotia: harvesting timber, tending Christmas tree lots and passing down a deep respect for the land. Today, Murray and Debbie Reeves continue that legacy through their family business, which manages several woodlots across the province. Their mission is simple yet enduring: to keep forests healthy, productive and sustainable for future generations.

However, even with decades of experience, they face the challenge of maintaining the health and productivity of stands that fall outside current silviculture program requirements.

Bridging the gap: Testing new thinning methods in mixedwood forests

Some of the Reeves’ managed woodlots contained immature hardwood mixed with red spruce. These areas didn’t qualify for conventional Pre-Commercial Thinning (PCT) but still required intervention to promote better fiber growth, biodiversity and regeneration of higher-value species. Without treatment, tolerant and marketable species risked being overtaken by faster-growing, lower-value trees.

To address this, Debbie and her team launched a pilot project supported through NSCC’s Forest Innovation Voucher Program (FIVP). The goal was to test the effectiveness of a mechanical thinning treatment using an excavator with a mulcher head—an approach not yet widely applied in Nova Scotia’s mixedwood forests.

The project was carried out on the Reeves’ property along Brown Road in The Forties. Guided by pre-treatment assessments and GIS mapping, the site was divided into three areas:

• Treatment stand: Thinned using a mulcher to open trails, followed by a brush saw release of targeted crop trees.
• Partial treatment stand: Mulcher trails created, but no follow-up release.
• Control stand: Left untreated for comparison.

Each area was carefully ribboned, GPS-mapped and marked for data tracking to monitor tree growth and stand improvement over a five-year period.

“The funding made it possible to experiment with equipment and approaches that otherwise wouldn’t fit within traditional silviculture budgets,” explains Debbie Reeves. “It also allowed us to hire a contractor, spend more time on layout and retention planning and even collaborate with the Forestry Sector Council on training promotion.”

Early results and insights

Initial results have shown the mulcher head to be highly effective in reducing competition among trees and improving access for follow-up treatments. Debbie notes that while the process is too costly to adopt widely under current program rates, the results point to valuable new options for stand management.

“The mulcher worked really well for the preliminary thinning,” she says. “It opened up the stand and made the brush saw work safer and more efficient. For hardwood sites especially, it could become an important pre-treatment step.”

The Reeves team also gained insights into how mechanical trail creation could be integrated into existing programs, potentially paving the way for new silviculture options that address mid-aged or complex stands not covered by standard prescriptions.

Building knowledge for the broader sector

Beyond their operations, the Reeves family is committed to sharing what they’ve learned. Their trial site is open for viewing, and this provides a learning opportunity for other woodlot owners, contractors and students interested in mechanical thinning techniques. The Forestry Sector Council has also used the site to film training videos highlighting silviculture bush saw work.

“This kind of innovation helps make forestry more adaptive and inclusive,” says Debbie. “It’s about improving the forest, supporting new workers and making sure the next generation inherits something better.”

Growing forward

The Reeves family hopes their results will inform future silviculture reviews and inspire updates that allow more flexible, ecologically minded treatments. While it will take several years to measure the full growth benefits, early outcomes are promising: healthier stands, greater biodiversity and a renewed model for forest stewardship, rooted in both innovation and tradition.

With support from NSCC’s Forest Innovation Voucher Program, Murray Reeves Forestry is helping to redefine how small-scale woodland owners can use technology and creativity to build more forest resilience in Nova Scotia.