At 9:30 on a morning in late May, it was already hot and promising to get hotter as a dozen or so volunteers gathered at the Hoffman Evergreen Preserve in Stonington. They were there to plant trees – a seemingly curious activity, considering the preserve is already a forest. But planting those trees – a mere 150 or so on this particular day – is intended to do more than just revitalize the woodland. Along with a few similar projects around the state, the Hoffman work may help set a course for how Connecticut can adapt its forests to withstand the effects of climate change.