PACIFIC EDUCATION INSTITUTE

Meaningful Forest Experiences and Training for Educators and Community Leaders

Field Experiences Where Forest Literacy Comes Alive

Why this Project Matters

Forests cover more than 31% of the global land area but are not equally distributed and enjoyed by all communities. Despite this, forests are one of our most powerful tools to mitigate climate change, providing solutions to many of the world’s most important sustainability challenges. From climate change to water quality and biodiversity, well-managed forests provide viable solutions to achieve social and environmental outcomes. It is important for diverse groups of people to understand the values and benefits of forests. By gaining forest literacy, people acquire the tools and knowledge they need to keep our forests sustainable over the long term, while continuing to benefit from them.

With support from partners, including SFI and Project Learning Tree (PLT), PEI will design and deliver a two-day forestry professional learning experience for formal K-12 educators and forestry-based community collaborators. The first day of the project’s professional learning experience will include a forest field tour facilitated by the Washington Farm Forestry Association and Washington State University Forestry Extension that highlights forest management and green jobs. Field experiences will take place on small plots of private forest landowner properties and tree farms, a local Weyerhaeuser lumber mill, and state-managed forestland. The second day of this experience will include a workshop exploring PEI and PLT resources. Participants will have the opportunity to chat with community partners and will learn new methods for integrating locally relevant forest literacy education into their teacher practice.

PLT’s environmental literacy and green job resources allow students to learn how to think about the environment and use forests as unique windows on the world. By leveraging PLT’s educational expertise with the knowledge and perspectives of small Southwestern Washington forest landowners and providing opportunity for place-based learning about local forest ecosystems and sustainable forest management, educators will discover resources to help students engage more intimately with regional efforts to conserve the biological diversity of forests and promote climate resilience. The project will include professional PLT training experiences and will promote awareness of the conservation outcomes that demonstrate the important contribution of SFI’s footprint.

How the Project connects schools to sustainable forests, builds forest literacy, and inspires green jobs

This project will foster collaboration between local communities and the SFI network to increase mutual understanding of the values and benefits provided by sustainably managed forests. Touring forests with small landowners and engaging with professional forest literacy and training for educators provides a powerful framework of personal experience. By inspiring educators to become engaged and informed with the sustainable management of their regional forests, the project is encouraging forest literacy and helping inspire educators to support the next generation of green consumers and future sustainability leaders.

This project connects school districts that are rural and attended by historically underserved and underrepresented remote and rural communities, introducing young people to the many forest and conservation careers available in their local community. By training formal educators to integrate equitable, outdoor, and locally relevant career connections into their lessons, diverse groups of students will learn about environmental challenges in their communities and understand potential solutions and the green career pathways to support.

SFI’s Contribution

The SFI Community Grant Program is supporting the project by leveraging SFI Implementation Committee Washington PLT state networks and connecting the project to regional forest sector expertise through partnership with associations, foundations, universities, and tree farms. Washington SFI committee members will be on site for the field and workshop portions of the project to provide SFI resources relating to land productivity, forest and road management, timber harvesting, legacy planning, and salmon recovery practices.

Partners

This project includes state PLT and SFI Implementation Committee support, as well as partner associations and foundations, state agencies, and university professionals.

• Project lead: Pacific Education Institute (Washington PLT state sponsor)
• Sustainable Forestry Initiative
• Washington SFI Implementation Committee
• Washington Farm Forestry Association
• Washington State University Forestry Extension
• Custer Creek Tree Farm
• Family Forest Foundation
• Pacific County Commissioners
• South Bend School District
• Weyerhaeuser (SFI-certified organization)

Related Information

Training Yakama Nation Tribal Educators in Project Learning Tree Lessons

Forestry-based STEM Professional Development for Teachers in Washington State

STEM Education of Sustainable Forest Practices

About the Pacific Education Institute

The Pacific Education Institute (PEI) promotes civic and scientific literacy by empowering people to make balanced, well-informed decisions for just and sustainable communities. PEI promotes outdoor, integrated, career connected, locally relevant, real-world science through teaching resources and professional training. Learn more.