Building a Resilient School Forest Program

In the 98 years since Wisconsin legislation established the Community Forest program, hundreds of school forests have been registered. The Community Forest Law allows schools and municipalities to own or manage forests and other land types for sustainable forestry and education. Wisconsin became the first state in the nation to establish a school forest program in 1927, with the first forests being registered in spring 1928 at Laona, Crandon, and Wabeno in Forest County.

The establishment of the school forest program coincided with the end of the cutover period and unsuccessful attempts to farm the newly cleared Northwoods. Many early school forests were tax delinquent lands given to school districts. Wisconsin students played a significant role in replanting those forests. Today, there are 435 registered school forests across the state. Students still plant trees and also learn about other sustainable forestry practices as well as water, soils, wildlife, and more.

Most school forest programs’ activity ebbs and flows over time depending on dedication or availability of staff and funding for programs or management activities. While many programs see an initial period of incredible growth, it takes a team of various stakeholders to ensure long term sustainability. Stable programs develop over time and have the support of administration, school staff including maintenance, community, and the primary beneficiaries — the students themselves.

FREE Training! School Forest Foundational Planning

Bring a team and join us for a day of foundational planning where we look at the steps needed to integrate the forest into your district’s learning objectives, gain resources, and network with other school forest educators who are looking to develop, use, and sustain their school forest programming.

Cost: FREE

Date & Time: 9:30 a .m. - 2:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Location: Schmeeckle Reserve Visitor Center, Stevens Point, WI

The dual missions of Wisconsin’s School Forest Program are to foster environmental education among Wisconsin students and to manage the forest resources sustainably. School Forests are required to have an up-to-date Forest Stewardship (or management) Plan to register. It is also strongly recommended that each program have a working School Forest Education Plan. These plans, along with a team of dedicated stakeholders, are essential to establish a successful long-term school forest program.

Does your school forest program have up-to-date Forest Stewardship and Education Plans? If you are not sure about the status of your education plan or need to connect with your local DNR Forester to write or update a Forest Management Plan, please reach out to Gretchen or Steve at LEAF. You can access the Wisconsin DNR Forestry Assistance Locator and search for a Service Forester in the county the land is in. If you have recently updated either plan, please send those to LEAF so we can include them in our records.

If you are interested in kickstarting a new school forest or revitalizing your existing school forest program, consider bringing a team of stakeholders to participate in LEAF’s School Forest Foundational Planning Workshop on Tuesday, February 10, in Stevens Point. Participants will walk through a template to start writing a School Forest Education Plan and network with others from around the state. There is no fee to participate, and a limited number of substitute teacher stipends are available.

Wisconsin’s School Forest Program Centennial will be celebrated in the 2027-28 school year. Keep your eye on future LEAFlet editions to learn how you and your school can help celebrate this milestone.

Students lead the way at Werth Woods school forest

Students at the Wisconsin Youth Climate Conference in November were proud to share the ways they’re making a difference at their schools. Students from ECOS – Environmentally Concerned Oregon Students – at Oregon High School shared about the work they’ve been doing at the Werth Woods school forest.

Located behind Forest Edge Elementary School, the forest was neglected for a couple of decades before the district purchased it. Students have been working on clearing trails to make them ADA accessible, pulling invasive species, and trying to spread the word so other schools in the district will know about and make use of the forest. Eventually, they’d love to build an outdoor classroom in the space.

We’re always glad to see students participating in maintaining and improving their school forests! Let us know how students are making a difference in your School Forest.

Professional Development

In-Person Trainings

School Forest Foundational Planning | February 10 | Stevens Point

Leaves, Light and Learning: Early Childhood Education in the Outdoors | April 27 | Franklin

On-Demand Trainings

LEAF On-Demand, Online Offerings

Project Learning Tree On-Demand, Online Offerings

Leaves, Light and Learning: Early Childhood Education in the Outdoors

Join LEAF, Project Learning Tree (PLT), KEEP, and Wehr Nature Center staff for a full-day, hands-on professional development experience designed for early childhood educators who want to bring the wonder of the outdoors into their teaching.

Cost: $30

Date & Time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Monday, April 27, 2026

Location: Wehr Nature Center, Franklin, WI

Learn more about this training opportunity

Order your School Forest seedlings

One benefit of being a registered school forest is access to free seedlings from the DNR Nursery to plant in the school forest. Popular species of trees go fast. If you desire to plant a certain type of tree, get your order in early. Once they are gone, they are gone! Follow these steps to place your school forest seedling order:

Attention 4th grade teachers!

The DNR is also now accepting Arbor Day free tree orders.

Request Form

Do your research first.

Landscapes for planting are very diverse. Consult your school forest management plan and DNR forester to find out which tree species are most suitable for your property. Available seedling types and descriptions can be found in the Nursery Seedling Catalog and DNR's tree and shrub inventory. The catalog does a great job explaining the growing requirements and provides pictures and a distribution map of each species.
Once you have decided which species to plant,

Fill out either the online form or the paper form. In the "Free Order" section, choose "Registered School Forest or Community Forest". Note: school forests do not need to order the bulk number of trees. You may order less than the minimum requirements listed; however, there is a maximum of 5,000 trees and 3,000 shrubs school forests can receive. If you have questions, contact Carey Skerven at Carey.Skerven@wisconsin.gov or 715-424-3700, or contact your local DNR forester.

Involve students in your tree planting events

What and where to plant
Have students explore and explain the different characteristics they might expect from different tree species.

Who to invite
Prompt students to brainstorm ways to reach out to their school community and the broader local community to involve them in tree planting events.

How to document and share the event
Engage students in determining how they'd like to approach photographing or recording the event, then empower them to take on some of these tasks.