Forestry educational resources
Encouraging outdoor activities and teaching about the benefits of Wisconsin forests are important. Get started with instilling the bigger picture in the hands, hearts and minds of youth by going to the forestry education resource links below.
In the classroom
LEAF - Wisconsin's K-12 Forestry Education Program [exit DNR] - The LEAF Program was created in 2001 to help promote forestry education in Wisconsin. Since then, LEAF has provided professional development to thousands of Wisconsin's teachers and provided curriculum to hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin students.
LEAF, which is a partnership between the is a partnership between the Department of Natural Resources – Division of Forestry and the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education [exit DNR] in the College of Natural Resources at UW-Stevens Point, administers the Wisconsin School Forest Program [exit DNR]. The school forest program began with 1927 legislation and Wisconsin's first school forests were established in the spring of 1928 in Laona, Crandon and Wabeno. Today there are 254 schools with school forests. School forests are remarkable educational resources that are available to:
- Help schools meet state and national core education standards.
- Serve as a focus to integrate environmental education into the school's curriculum.
- Provide hands-on, experiential learning opportunities.
- Strengthen school-community relations.
- Demonstrate sustainable natural resource management.
- Produce income for education activities.
LEAF also administers Project Learning Tree [exit DNR]® (PLT) in Wisconsin. PLT is widely recognized as one of the premier environmental education programs in the world. Through hands-on, interdisciplinary activities, PLT helps young people learn how to think, not what to think, about complex environmental issues.
Other curriculum resources [exit DNR]
Forestry education resources
- Forestry Song - Find the lyrics of "The Forest Is the Place Where We All Live" by Stuart Stotts. Included are the songwriter's biography, the song sheet, a video clip of motions to the chorus of the song and more.
- In Grandpa's Woods - Interactive book for children.
- Wisconsin Forest Tales - Historical fiction book in which glimpses of forest history and life over the past 150 years is shared.
- Managing Forests for Multi-Use - Into the Outdoors [exit DNR]
- Into Forestry: Heroes of the Forest - Into the Outdoors [exit DNR]
- America's Forests with Chuck Leavell in Northern Wisconsin [exit DNR]
- America's Forests with Chuck Leavell in Southern Wisconsin [exit DNR]
Basic facts and ID
- Learn how to identify a tree.
- Learn about harmful forest insects and diseases.
- Identify invasive species.
Detailed information and analysis
- Division of Forestry Strategic Direction
- Forestry publications.
- Explore the state forest census data under Forest Inventory and Analysis.
- Find out how to order aerial photos.
- learn about the Forestry Geographic Information System library.
Plant a tree!
- Looking for guidance from a forester? Search the Forestry Assistance Locator.
- Find out how to order tree seedlings.
- Discover Arbor Day celebration ideas.