Forestry Milestones Abound

As you return to classrooms this fall, many of you will have celebrated America's 250th birthday this summer. This semiquincentennial (say that 5 times real fast) marked 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

LEAF, which is recognizing its 25th year in 2026 is a comparative baby. We were created in 2001 to help promote forestry education in Wisconsin. Thinking about these milestones has us thinking about a number of other Wisconsin forestry-related milestones.

The Wisconsin State Natural Areas (SNAs) program, the oldest and largest program of its kind in the nation, is recognizing 75 years in 2026. You can join the Natural Resources Foundation and Matt Zine, a conservation biologist with the DNR for a webinar from noon to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 27, to learn more about about SNAs history, successes and conservation challenges that lie ahead. 

Wisconsin's State Park System, which includes various state forests and trails, celebrated its 125th anniversary last year.

And looking ahead, Wisconsin School Forest Program will celebrate 100 years in the 2027-28 school year. Planning is underway for ways to recognize and celebrate school forests and we'll be holding another School Forest Summit next summer to kick things off. For now, we ask that you check out our School Forest Centennial webpage for more information and for ways to Share Your School Forest Story.

What is your favorite memory from a school forest visit?

• Describe a memorable lesson, activity or event that took place in your school forest.
• How did your school forest experience influence your interest in nature, conservation, forestry or the outdoors?
• Is there a teacher, forester, volunteer or community member who made your school forest experience especially meaningful?
• Do you have a story about a special project, tradition, celebration or milestone at your school forest?
• What sights, sounds, or experiences from your school forest do you still remember today?
• How has your school forest impacted students, educators or your community?
• Did an experience in your school forest shape your education, career, hobbies or personal life? If so, how?

Intro to Forestry Ed - Boring name, exciting opportunity

Since LEAF’s inception in 2001, our flagship Intro to Forestry Education for the K-12 Classroom has seen many changes in format and timing, but its focus — helping educators teach about the importance of Wisconsin’s forests — has remained the same.

Something else that has been consistent during this time is the type of response we get from participating teachers.

Time and again, participants tell us they would recommend Intro to Forestry Ed to a colleague.  What is it about this workshop that leads to such a passionate response? In a nutshell, it’s fun and it’s meaningful.

Though LEAF instructors know their stuff and are great resources themselves, this workshop is about hands-on learning, not endless PowerPoint slideshows and lectures. Participants in this workshop do the things their students will be doing and discuss the questions their students will be discussing.

But we also understand that one size does not fit all in the classroom, so we design this workshop to give participants an opportunity to plan out where forestry education fits best in their curriculum. There is sometimes a misconception that forestry education only belongs in science or agriculture classrooms. In reality, forest-focused teaching and learning belong to the entire K-12 team. The lessons in the K-12 Forestry Education Guide that you receive in this workshop are full of literacy, math and social studies connections in addition to science and natural resources topics.

New Kits

New and improved kit borrowing process

Whether it's one of these kits of the many other LEAF Forestry Education Kits you're after, be sure to get your fall reservations in early to ensure the best availability.

Speaking of availability, you may notice some updates to the kit reservation process. Previously, borrowers needed to check kit calendars through separate links to determine availability before submitting a reservation. Now, the reservation system automatically blocks unavailable dates, making it much easier to see when a kit can be reserved and simplifying the process overall.

Kit shipping will once again be waived for the 2026-27 school year. Borrowers may still choose to be invoiced for shipping costs, but we've also added a new option to make a direct credit card donation to help support kit shipping statewide. Unlike an invoice, which reflects the actual cost of shipping your kit, donations can be made in any amount and are open to anyone, whether you've borrowed a kit or not. Thank you for supporting WCEE's mission to provide equitable access to high-quality, hands-on educational resources across Wisconsin.

Other changes

Also, as we mentioned at the end of last school year, we've also transitioned to a new website platform. While the move involved consolidating some content, everything you rely on is still available.

We've also been updating lessons to improve screen reader accessibility. As part of this effort, some PDF resources have been converted to Google Docs and some existing Google Docs have been refreshed. Whenever updates were necessary, we've worked to improve the content as well.

Our popular Online Tree ID tool was also rebuilt over the summer to improve its functionality and accessibility. If you had any usability issues with the previous version, please give the new one a try.

And as always, if you can't find something you're looking for or have any other concerns, please do let us know at leaf@uwsp.edu.

Join LEAF at Slipstream Career Fair

The energy industry is experiencing rapid growth and there is a rising demand for people with expertise in energy-related fields.

Slipstream is inviting educators to register for a free Energy Career Fair at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Friday, September 18, 2026,

This event allow students to explore careers from electric power distribution to energy efficiency through a series of exciting hands-on demonstrations and stations, including a LEAF station!

What does forestry have to do with energy? Quite a bit. Issues like vegetation management, wildfire response and even bioenergy production all connect the two areas. Join us to learn more.

Wisconsin Science Fest

LEAF is looking forward to another year of the Wisconsin Science Festival! Together with KEEEP, we'll be leading sessions on exploring climate solutions around the state. Mark your calendars for October 15-25, and keep an eye on the events list for all the awesome science-related events happening in every corner of Wisconsin.

Seed Collection Reminder and online Workshop

And one final reminder, if you participated in one of LEAF's seed collection workshops in the past, hopefully you've been scouting your spots and getting ready to harvest, if not, this is your reminder to get out and get started.

Many tree seeds come to fruition in early to mid-fall, so don't delay. Remember, this can be a great opportunity to get students out into school forests and maybe even make a little money in the process.

And if you're curious about seed collection, there is also a great free introductory webinar coming up. Sign up for the DNR's Intro to Tree Seed Collection Webinar Thursday, August 20, noon to 1:00 p.m.

Contact Us! 

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

Published for August 2026