BETHEL — “Ways of the Woods: People and the Land in the Northern Forest,” the Northern Forest Center’s mobile museum about forest heritage and culture across northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, will be on display during Mollyockett Day on Saturday, July 18.

Ways of the Woods features multi-media displays housed in an image-covered 18-wheel tractor-trailer. Outdoor displays, artifacts and children’s activities combine with the videos to help people explore the changing relationships between people and land across the Northern Forest.

“I think that the mobile museum will be a wonderful addition to the day’s festivities,” said Aranka Matolcsy, executive director of the Mahoosuc Arts Council, which sponsors the event. “MAC greatly appreciates the efforts of the Northern Forest Center to make Mollyockett Day an event that truly offers something for everyone.”

Ways of the Woods is free and will be open for tours on the Bethel Common from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This year, in addition to exhibits about the region’s culture and heritage, Ways of the Woods is incorporating new videos and displays that explore emerging economic opportunities and related scientific research ranging from the development of biofuels to engineered wood products, forest health and productivity and the potential community benefits of well planned tourism development.

“We’re expanding the exhibit’s message to talk about the region’s future and promote the regional economic strategy and recommendations of the Sustainable Economy Initiative,” said Senior Program Director Mike Wilson.

SEI was a multi-year economic assessment of the Northern Forest region led by a panel appointed by the governors of New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and New York. The SEI recommendations, Economic Resurgence in the Northern Forest, are available online at www.nfsei.org.

“The recommendations are the result of work by representatives from forestry, education, economic development, the arts, the environment, banking and other areas to develop an overall strategy that we can put to work right away to boost the region’s economy,” said SEI Program Manager Joe Short. “For example, we’re using SEI as the basis for recommending how federal spending could be directed to the Northern Forest through the Northern Border Regional Commission.”

The Northern Forest Center created Ways of the Woods through collaboration with scores of heritage organizations across the Northern Forest and with major financial support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Center managed the Sustainable Economy Initiative jointly with the North Country Council of New Hampshire.

The complete 2009 Tour schedule and updates are available at www.northernforest.org. Any school or organization interested in hosting Ways of the Woods in 2010 should contact Tour Manager Carolyn Graney at 824-8263, cgraney@northernforest.org.

The Northern Forest Center is a nonprofit organization that mobilizes people to build healthy communities, economies and ecosystems by working together across the Northern Forest region. It has offices in Bethe and in Concord, N.H.