LEAFlet: Welcome Back!

Welcome Back!

In this issue, we:

Reintroduce LEAF
Celebrate Smokey Bear's 80th Birthday with the launch of a new Smokey Bear Kit!
Take a look at upcoming professional development opportunities, including an opportunity for FREE registration to the upcoming Forest History Association of Wisconsin's 2024 Annual Conference.

Reintroducing LEAF

We wanted to take an opportunity in this newsletter, since it's our first one this school year, to acquaint you with the basics of who we are, what we do, and how we can assist with the forestry education you do in your classrooms indoors and out.

What is LEAF?

LEAF, is a partnership program with the Wisconsin DNR - Division of Forestry, that focuses on providing training and resources to K-12 teachers to support forestry education in Wisconsin. We’re housed with the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education, which is an outreach center within the College of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.

LEAF’s mission is “to integrate learning in and about Wisconsin’s forests into K-12 schools to provide the knowledge, skills, and ways of thinking necessary to sustain our forests and communities.”

Teachers are LEAF’s primary audience. Developing teachers’ forestry literacy is an important key to expanding forestry education in schools.

What does LEAF do?

LEAF works to fully integrate its and its partners’ services and resources to provide a comprehensive and holistic approach to forestry education.

Professional Development - LEAF offers classroom-based or field-based teacher in-service including background information on forests in Wisconsin and model teaching of LEAF lessons. Content can be customized to fit the needs and experience level of your staff.

LEAF Forestry Lessons and Guides - LEAF offers many forms of forestry lessons and curriculum for educators and forester professionals. Take a look at our High School Forestry Scope and Sequence, K-12 Forestry Education Guides, Curriculum Bundles, and more.

Why forestry education matters

An excerpt from LEAF's Rationale for Forestry Education In Wisconsin

Wisconsin forests are ecologically, economically, culturally, and socially essential to our well-being.

Forests are also great places to learn. Learning in, and about, Wisconsin’s forests adds relevance to all subject areas and builds ecological literacy necessary to help sustain our forests.

Historically, Wisconsin’s forests sustained life for Indigenous people and provided jobs for a growing immigrant workforce, building materials for a developing nation, and dollars for a fledgling state economy.

Today, forests continue to be an important part of Wisconsin. Our forests cover 46 percent of the state. They provide habitat for wildlife, recreational opportunities for residents and visitors, and a basis for a major part of Wisconsin’s economy. Our forests benefit each of us through the protection of Wisconsin’s air and water quality, their beauty, and the products they provide. Our forests are a basic human life support system, affecting the quality of life that we all enjoy.

Today, our forests face the greatest potential for change since 19th century logging. On the near horizon are changes in forest ecosystems, forest demands, and forest values. As our population continues to grow and the demands on our forests increase, Wisconsin’s citizens will need to play an active role in sustaining our forests as ecosystems and human systems. To do this, our citizens need the knowledge and skills to make decisions and to understand the impact of their choices.

Hands-on Forestry Kits - Are you looking for fun, hands-on teaching resources for a specific forestry topic? There is an amazing array of educational kits available to educators. Most kits can be borrowed for a few weeks at a time. Shipping is available within Wisconsin.

Wisconsin's School Forest Program - School forests are exceptional outdoor classrooms. The Wisconsin School Forest Program, coordinated by LEAF, serves as a resource for all school forests in the state.

Project Learning Tree® (PLT) - PLT is widely recognized as one of the premier environmental education programs in the world. In Wisconsin, PLT is coordinated by LEAF. Through hands-on, interdisciplinary activities, PLT helps young people learn how to think, not what to think, about complex environmental issues.

School Grounds Program - This program serves as a resource for Wisconsin schools seeking ways to use their school grounds as outdoor teaching sites. The program was designed to help teachers discover teaching and learning opportunities that exist right outside the school doors.

How to engage with LEAF

You are reading our newsletter, which is a great way to stay on top of upcoming trainings and other opportunities LEAF provides. If you're not yet subscribed, please do.

At the end of the day, a large part of what makes LEAF special is that we're real people. If you have questions about an upcoming training, a LEAF lesson or kit, or anything else related to forestry education in your classroom, please do not hesitate to get in touch at leaf@uwsp.edu or call us at 715-346-4956.

Learn more about LEAF at our website

Smokey Bear's

80th Birthday!

Smokey Bear's 80th Birthday was August 9th. Here are a couple photos of the LEAF staff that was in the office that day celebrating with some delicious homemade brownies that Heather whipped up.

We even got a little social media love from the Bear himself.

NEW KIT! Smokey Bear Kit

First four kit requests receive a FREE Smokey Bear backpack as a gift to your classroom!

Build literacy and fire safety skills with this Smokey Bear Kit! Learn about the history of Smokey Bear, read his story in English and Spanish, and spice up fire safety lessons with Smokey hats and a stuffed toy.

For a limited time only, celebrate Smokey’s 80th birthday with Smokey memorabilia students can keep! With Smokey comics, stories, coloring pages, pencils, erasers, bookmarks, and stickers, every student can take home their own set of Smokey gear. Available while supplies last.

Reserve this Kit

Smokey Bear Live!

Visit the Natural Inquirer YouTube Channel this fall for videos and live streams to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Smokey Bear wildfire prevention campaign.

• Campfires Can Spark Wildfires — 10/4/2024

• Vehicles Can Spark Wildfires — 10/11/2024

• Fireworks Can Spark Wildfires — 10/18/2024

• Live Q&A with expert panel — Noon on 10/25/2024

Visit on YouTube

2ND KIT ADDED! Tree ID Kit

LEAF’s Tree ID Kit includes everything an educator needs to confidently work with students to master the skills of identifying trees that are native to Wisconsin.

The kit pairs well with LEAF’s Field Enhancement 1, Tree Identification lesson or can be used independently as part of any Tree ID lesson.

The kit also includes Climate Change Field Guides that will help students assess the impact a changing climate can have on trees in their communities.

Reserve this Kit

Professional Development

In-Person Trainings

Step Outside Into Learning Workshop | 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., October 3 | Milwaukee

On-Demand Trainings

LEAF On-Demand, Online Offerings

Project Learning Tree On-Demand, Online Offerings

School Forest Networking Q&A

Why: We have heard your desire for more consultation time and networking with other school forest educators.

What: This will be an informal time for school forest educators to log on and ask a question or network with other school forest educators. Think of this as an open office hours event. Pop-in quickly or stay for a while.

When/Where: 3:30 - 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, September 24, on Zoom

Who: Steve Schmidt, LEAF Outreach Specialist, will host

How: Registration is required to receive the meeting link. However, there is no deadline to register, so you can register right up to the time of the event.

Visit Burlington School Forest with LEAF

Natural Resource Foundation (NRF) members are invited to join Steve Schmidt and Gretchen Marshall from LEAF Saturday, October 5th, for a field trip to the 160-acre Burlington School Forest. This school forest is located on the county line between Racine and Kenosha counties.

Lead by Burlington School Forest educator Trent Tonn, participants will hike 3-4 miles of trails to visit a small prairie, pine plantation, and a stand of older oak and hickory hardwoods.

Participants will also learn about the nearly-100 year history of Wisconsin's School Forest Program and its importance to conservation.

This field trip is part of 275 field trips the NRF is offering this year exploring Wisconsin lands.

Don't forget about NRF grant opportunities

The NRF offers grants that support environmental education in Wisconsin.

It is currently seeking proposals for the Go Outside Fund which provides funding that helps connect youth to outdoor, nature-based learning experiences.

Teachers or partner organizations may apply for funding to cover costs that facilitate getting kids outside and hands-on with nature, such as purchasing field supplies, or paying for transportation, substitute teachers, or educator costs.

Grants between $100 and $500 are available.

Learn More and Apply

The Forest History Association of Wisconsin (FHAW) will host its 2024 Annual Conference in Keshena this fall, with its theme “The Beginning of Change: Tribal History, Tribal Treaties, and the Menominee Forest Story.”

Again this year they are offering a limited number of free registrations for teachers to attend the main day of the conference, on Saturday Oct. 12th. Saturday’s agenda includes talks covering the history and restoration of the Menominee Tribe, historic Indigenous agriculture, and modern Indigenous forestry practices. Please see the conference brochure for details about the Saturday program.

To apply for one of the free registrations, please email Nicole.Filizetti@uwsp.edu with “FHAW Conference Registration” in the subject line. Participating teachers will also have the option to register for Friday tours and a Friday night dinner and speaker for an additional cost. Contact Nicole with questions about those optional add-ons.

Email Nicole

Have questions or need additional resources? Contact us at leaf@uwsp.edu. We are here to support educators and students with forestry opportunities.

Workshops

Kits

Curriculum

Published for August 2024