The Appalachian
Forest Museum
The forest has a story...
The Appalachian Forest Museum is the first Museum in the world to tell the story of America's eastern temperate forest.
Two thousand years ago, this forest was represented in three major forest centers: eastern North America, Europe and eastern Asia. Today, only the forest of eastern United States survives outside isolated parks and refuges.
Although greatly fragmented, the temperate forest in the United States is the most intact representation of the biome in the entire world. Learn more about the temperate forest.
A Globally Significant Forest
The Museum's story begins with a global focus, gradually narrowing down to the forest outside the Museum's windows; beginning in the ancient mists of time and ending in present day. Each chapter is illustrated by one magnificent original oil painting - telling the story in a dramatic visual format. Visitors learn...
Recreating an Ancient Forest Grove
One of the biggest missing pieces of today's living forests are the giant old-growth trees. In the Museum, floor-to-ceiling tree trunk replicas have been built to recreate for visitors a majestic grove of immense trees. It was quite an artistic challenge! The trees had to be constructed so that they were not too heavy, yet botanically realistic in detail.
Local artist Bradley Gray, designed the massive trunk replicas, and built them of wood, wire and plaster. Brad Gray and two more local artists, Angel McIlwain and Bill Brown, painstakingly crafted and painted the barks of the ancient trees to be true to the selected species.
The entire process took six months to complete. Major funding for the trees was provided by the Ohio Environmental Education Fund. Financial support also came from the Highland County Convention and Visitors Bureau and Wilderness East.
Nationally Recognized Artists
Geoff Mowery, a skilled wildlife artist from Northeastern Ohio, was selected to paint the Museum's first four displays. Geoff demonstrates in his paintings a dramatic use of light, accurate biological detail, dynamic movement and alluring depth.
Dayton, Ohio native John Agnew was selected to paint the second two displays. A lifelong student of natural history and art, John captures both science and spirit in his captivating works.
The last two displays were painted by Robert Dafford, the renowned Louisiana muralist who is best known regionally for his stunning river wall paintings in Portsmouth, Ohio and Maysville, Kentucky. Robert's dramatic large-scale vision and sweeping colors were the perfect finish to the gallery.
Designing the Museum
How to effectively tell such a big story in just eight pictures and associated small "trailside" signs, was a major design challenge at the Appalachian Forest Museum. Designer Bruce Lombardo first proposed the idea of recreating the the ancient forest and telling the tale through pictures. With the help of the Ohio Environmental Education grant that he wrote on behalf of the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System, he completed the project partially as a part-time contractor and partially as a dedicated volunteer.
Bruce has considerable experience in natural resource interpretation and design. He has worked as a park ranger at several national parks. His previous major endeavor was in Zimbabwe, Africa; where he designed an ecological interpretive Museum for the Painted Dog Conservation project.
Success! The Museum Displays are Completed in 2011
The eight mural-sized fine art paintings that make up the Appalachian Forest Museum's displays were completed in late 2011 and proudly unveiled to the public at the Arc of Appalachia's annual Donor Gathering.
The Nature Trails at the Appalachian Forest Museum
Back to Highlands Nature Sanctuary
