The Promise of Forestry Education

Nicholas J. Hylla

Wisconsin Forest Resources Education Alliance (WFREA)

Education about natural resources, namely forestry, is becoming more prominent in Wisconsin schools. The increase in the number of teachers who are trained in forestry education, who have forestry education materials, and who teach about forestry can be attributed to actions taken by the forest industry, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, WFREA, and the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education. In helping create the LEAF Program (Learning, Experiences, & Activities in Forestry), they have brought forests and forestry to Wisconsin’s classrooms.

This situation, in which outside organizations are pursuing roles in education, continues to present both promises and challenges. One of the most obvious challenges is that the institutions that develop the performance standards for schools are not the primary motivators in the process. That is to say that the understanding of forests and forestry is not sufficiently represented in the learning outcomes tested by schools. Since tests tend to drive instruction, this leads to a situation where environmental themes, such as forestry, remain at the periphery of a student’s education.

In addition, much of student learning is dependant upon the understanding of systems (e.g. economies, cultures, and ecosystems) and how they interrelate. Education initiatives that are driven by special interests may tend to emphasize only the concepts and skills important to their mission. It is difficult for teachers and students to gain a complete understanding of issues if they only have access to materials on specific topics.

It is my belief that solutions to these challenges are also the greatest promises of forestry education. Forests and forestry are a fundamental part of Wisconsin’s culture, economy, and ecology. For this reason, forestry education is interdisciplinary and can be used as a medium to convey an understanding of systems and relationships. Forests and forest products are important and relevant to Wisconsin students. Teaching about forestry can connect students to their communities, to the landscape, to their history, and to other parts of the world.

In Wisconsin, forest stakeholders are already involved in education. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “I pay the schoolmaster, but ‘tis the schoolboys that educate my son.” In this sense, where children learn is as important as what they learn. That is why it is important that education be tied to communities – where public institutions, businesses, industries, and the landscape are part of the educational experience. This is already taking place in some communities as a variety of schools have active school forests and long-standing ties with local businesses. In addition, a number of schools have developed their own forestry programs and middle school classrooms across the state are benefiting from the interactive CD and curriculum that WFREA developed about sustainable forestry management.

The LEAF Program is currently training teachers across the state to use forestry education lesson guides in their classrooms. They are working with school districts to promote district-wide adoption of forestry education. They are facilitating the use of school forests. And they are working with partners, such as WFREA, to create opportunities for teachers to gain experience with forest management and better understand the forest industry. All of these activities are set to elevate the importance of forests and forestry as a fundamental part of K-12 education.

I recently ran across a quote attributed to J. Willard Marriott the founder of Marriott Suites. In referring to a child’s education he said, “Good timber does not grow with ease; the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees.” Forestry education promises to rattle the trees a bit.