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Pardon our dust and update your bookmarks!
We've been updating our website in anticipation of switching content management systems last week. You may have noticed some changes to its structure and appearance. Please email us at leaf@uwsp.edu if you’re having trouble finding or accessing anything and we’ll make sure you get what you need!
| | | | Explore Wisconsin’s Forests this Summer | | As you’re planning your upcoming summer adventures, make sure to set aside time to explore some of Wisconsin’s vast forests. In addition to the school forests and city parks you (hopefully!) spend time in during the school year, Wisconsin has state, county and national forests that are also open to the public. Consider it your summer homework from LEAF to find a new forested location to take your students to when you return to school in fall. | | |
With 15 units dotted throughout the state, chances are you’ve interacted with a state forest in your life. Wisconsin’s state forests are sustainably managed for multiple uses, which means they supply timber and wood products as well as opportunities for recreation. Many of Wisconsin’s state forests offer campgrounds, picnic areas, boat launches, trails, hunting, and other summer recreational opportunities. Like state parks, some state forest facilities require a vehicle admission pass, so plan ahead for that.
As Wisconsin’s largest public forest landholding that includes 30 counties, county forests in our state contain over 2.4 million acres of land and a whopping 12,000+ miles of trails. Wisconsin’s county forests are also examples of how public land can support multiple uses, as $4.6 billion in forest products are produced from county forests annually. If you’re looking for opportunities for county forest recreation, explore this map or resources provided by the Wisconsin County Forest Association.
Wisconsin is also home to the vast Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, a collection of four non-continuous units that encompass more than one and a half million recreation-rich acres throughout northern Wisconsin. The Chequamegon-Nicolet also produces 120 million board feet of timber annually. As federally managed public land, a national forest operates differently than a state or county forest, so it’s worth your time to look at the rules that apply to national forests before you go exploring.
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To really get into the spirit of our national forests, why not celebrate National Forest Week this year? Running from May 31st – June 6th, it could be the perfect kickoff to summer in your classroom. Consider incorporating Project Learning Tree’s “Our Federal Forests” lesson into your week. Contact Nicole, Wisconsin’s PLT coordinator, for information on how to receive this activity.
Wherever your summer adventures take you, we hope you find time to appreciate our state’s beautiful and diverse forest resources!
| | Learn about School Forest Award recipients | | |
LEAF On-Demand, Online Offerings
Project Learning Tree On-Demand, Online Offerings*
*PLT is updating its online platforms
If you have participated in an online PLT training or own an electronic copy of a PLT guide, you have an account at PLT.org you use to access your online PLT resources. Please be advised that in early June changes will be made to how you access your materials through your account. Please watch PLT's social media and your email for updates. Email Nicole if you run into any problems.
| |  | Plan ahead! Summer Opportunities Abound! | Science, Stories, and Solutions | |
Explore climate science through forestry, energy, water, and wildlife topics.
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Date and time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Location: Aldo Leopold Foundation, Baraboo, WI
Cost: $15
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Explore the forest and get to know LEAF resources that support learning.
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Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Options: 9 a.m. - noon in River Falls OR 1 - 4 p.m. in Baldwin
Cost: Free
| Introduction to Forestry Ed | |
Explore techniques to integrate hands-on forestry education into the K-12 classroom.
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Date and time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Thursday, October 1, 2026
Location: Merrimac Community School, Merrimac, WI
Cost: $50
| | Join us at the WAAE Conference June 28 - July 2 | | |
The Wisconsin Association for Agricultural Educators (WAAE) is holding its annual Professional Development Conference this year from June 28th – July 2nd in Pewaukee.
LEAF and KEEP will be there and we’d love to connect with you at our exhibit booths or at one of the many workshops and sessions we’ll be leading there.
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Learning in the Leaves | Monday 9 – 10 a.m. | Discover how everyday school grounds can become powerful outdoor classrooms that connect students to urban forestry across the curriculum. Leave with ready-to-use ideas that make environmental learning accessible, engaging, and impactful—no bus or permission slip required!
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Forestry Field Skills for a Timber Cruise | 1:45 - 3:45 p.m. Tuesday | Join LEAF staff for field practice as we brush up on timber cruising skills such as tree measurement, calculating merchantable tree volume and basal area. Participants will use a wide variety of forestry tools and will learn how to access those tools at no cost. Tuesday | 1:45 – 3:45
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Introduce Your Students to Green Jobs | 1:15 - 2:45 p.m. Wednesday | In this hands-on workshop we will explore resources from Project Learning Tree and the LEAF K-12 Forestry Education Program that will help you introduce your students to the growing world of Green Jobs, so they can take steps toward a rewarding and joyful career. Participants will receive a free copy of PLT’s Green Jobs: Exploring Forest Careers activity guide.
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AgriSolar Innovations: exploring the dual-use of land for agriculture and energy | 1:15 - 2:45 p.m. Wednesday | Discover KEEP's new AgriSolar lessons, designed to encourage students to think critically about sustainability and how the dual-use of land for agriculture and solar energy production can provide solutions for multiple real-world problems.
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NTC offers Wood Industry Teacher Camp August 5-6 | | |
Check out this immersive, hands-on professional development experience designed to connect K-12 educators and administrators with the forest products industry.
Participants will operate commercial scale equipment at the NTC Wood Technology Center of Excellence including the new state of the art training sawmill. In addition to hands on experience, participants will also learn about resources to take back to their classrooms and go on an industry tour to gain further insight into this field.
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FREE FOR TEACHERS! FHAW Fall Conference | |
‘King’s Pines to King’s Dam: Stories of American Forests” is the theme of this year’s Forest History Association of Wisconsin (FHAW) Fall Conference, being held September 25th-26th at UW-Stevens Point's Treehaven in Tomahawk.
Starting with the role pines played in founding our country to the way private lands help supply Wisconsin’s forest industry, the meeting will be a celebration of America’s 250th birthday and a commemoration of the 50th year of the FHAW.
FHAW is generously offering free teacher participation in both the Friday tours and the Saturday presentations, including all meals. (Those unable to attend Friday can still take advantage of the free Saturday registration.) A limited number of free teacher registrations are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Or, feel free to email Nicole to discuss more.
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SAVE THE DATE: Forest Products Week 2026 | | |
Wisconsin’s forests cover nearly half our state and are a vital part of our collective history, culture, and economy. Forest Products Week offers an opportunity to learn about sustainable forest practices and to develop an appreciation for the valuable resources that Wisconsin forests provide.
Save the dates - Oct. 18-24, 2026 - for tours and events throughout Wisconsin!
| | Have questions or need additional resources? Contact us at leaf@uwsp.edu. We are here to support educators and students with forestry opportunities. | | | | |
