North American landscapes have been shaped by humans for millennia, but the arrival of Europeans several centuries ago ushered in an era of rapid conversion of eastern forests to cities, farms, transportation networks, and second-growth woodlands. In recent decades, however, numerous remnants of eastern old growth have been discovered, meticulously mapped, and studied. Many of these ancient stands retain surprisingly robust complexity and vigor, providing an exceptional opportunity for studying forest dynamics and ecological interactions, in some cases at landscape scales. The last two decades have seen a flurry of illuminating research on these systems by scientists armed with new techniques, large data sets, and cutting-edge questions that apply far beyond the boundaries of the targeted forest parcels. Moreover, these findings have formed the core of strategies for the conservation of these benchmarks of ecosystems in eastern North America. This symposium brings together talks, based in part on the recent ‘Ecology and Recovery of Eastern Old-growth Forests’ (Island Press), that cover a wide range of ecosystems, geographic regions, and ecological and conservation themes by authors who have worked on these old-growth systems for decades. The presentations will address not only the state-of-knowledge about the composition, structure, function, and variation of old-growth parcels, but also some of the most challenging contemporary ecological questions. What is the role of older forests in atmospheric carbon balance and the sustenance of biodiversity? What is the role of taxonomic and functional diversity in ecosystems? How do we develop old-growth frameworks that illuminate the complex dimensions of natural and human disturbance, ecosystem structure and function, and “naturalness.” What is the relationship between terrestrial and aquatic components in older forests? Can we accelerate forest stand development towards late-successional conditions, offering the ecosystem services provided by older forests? What are the most effective and feasible strategies for conserving and recovering ecosystems in an era of rapid environmental change? Is old-growth recovery still a relevant objective in contemporary times?