What better way to kick off the school year than by making your space a greener place? Use your school grounds to explore outdoor learning and earn Tree Campus K-12 recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation!
The Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus K-12 program, now in its 4th year, encourages schools, students, and communities to come together and use trees as an experiential learning tool. Students build their collaboration and leadership skills, give back to their communities, and learn valuable lessons about partnering together to make a positive impact.
A Parallel to Green Schools Initiatives
A “green school” is a learning institution that promotes sustainability through its teaching, facilities, operations, governance, and community partnerships. Green schools aim to educate students about the environment, and to develop skills for the social, economic, cultural, and environmental aspects of sustainable development. Green schools promote student and teacher health and wellbeing by ensuring a clean and healthy indoor environment, as well as providing programs and services for good nutrition and physical activity.
There are many Green Schools initiatives across the country. Green Schools programs can vary in scope and offerings; for example, some are national in scope while others operate at the state level. Some Green Schools programs offer certification pathways while others focus on educational resources.
Project Learning Tree (PLT) offers a suite of Green Schools educational materials to help support your school’s sustainability goals, but we look to other programs to offer the final level of “Certification.” PLT’s Green Schools materials are centered around 5 topical investigations, which can all be accessed online for free. Start your exploration today:
School Site
Energy
Water
Waste & Recycling
Environmental Quality
Project Learning Tree & Arbor Day Foundation
With their origins dating back to the very first Earth Day in the 1970s, Project Learning Tree and Arbor Day Foundation have touted many collaborations over the years. The Tree Campus K-12 program is no different!
One of the key components of Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus K-12 program is education. Learning about trees and how vital they are to the health of our ecosystem helps us all understand why we need them in our communities.
To receive annual Tree Campus recognition through the Arbor Day Foundation, schools must meet four goals:
Form a Tree Campus team made up of students, staff, and leadership
Develop and implement an education plan to incorporate tree-related learning experiences
Carry out a service-learning project in your community
Observe Arbor Day on your school’s campus or through your community
The education plan is developed by each school to meet their individual goals – whether it is implementing a tree-focused classroom curriculum, outdoor activities, or field experiences in the community. And Project Learning Tree activities are a perfect addition for schools looking to incorporate a “tree-centric curriculum.”
How to Get Started
It starts with a “Yes”! Take the pledge today, and work toward becoming a Tree Campus K-12 school. First, identify your staff and student tree champions, who will lead the way to recognition and then view this helpful checklist to begin the journey toward a greener, more sustainable future!
Do you work with schools in your community? Nominate a school that you think would benefit from participating in the program.
Have you ever met someone who just has that “It factor”? Someone with a magnetic personality, who’s warm, friendly, fun to be around, and draws in everyone around them.
If you haven’t noticed, the Project Learning Tree network sure has a lot of shining stars from educators inspiring learners through PLT activities to amazing facilitators leading PLT professional development events. But at the heart of our network are our PLT State Coordinators. These are the rockstar individuals leading PLT within their state, sharing their passion for nature-based education and introducing young people to the environment.
This month, we’re getting to know our Oklahoma PLT State Coordinator, Tony Pascall. Tony is the Education Coordinator for Oklahoma Forestry Services where he not only juggles multiple projects, but in his spare time he’s teaching himself how to actually juggle! “I’m up to 25ish catches in a row!”
Before becoming a PLT State Coordinator three years ago, Tony taught middle school math and STEM in Title 1 schools in Detroit and Dallas for several years. After graduating with a degree in Ecology from North Carolina State, he joined Teach for America with the intention of going back to become a plant biologist.
But instead, he caught a bug—the teaching bug—and fell in love with it. “The entire time I worked to incorporate my love of nature and the outdoors into my teaching. I brought my students outdoors for math labs, and even had an outdoor adventure club, where I brought some students hiking and camping! Most of my favorite moments in my formal teaching career come from this club, where I got to watch students fall in love with – and ultimately to learn to conserve – their environment.”
It’s all about the people
PLT isn’t just professional development and environmental education resources. It’s also a community of people passionate about educating the next generation and encouraging students to think broadly and dream big. “The environmental education community is very welcoming, and I love how much everyone reaches out to help one another. I’ve been able to work with several different organizations to put on shared educator workshops and student events, and every time I meet new people and learn something new.”
And the best place to meet these awesome people? A local PLT professional development event, that’s where! Tony’s favorite thing about these events is “Meeting cool educators! I love seeing what other folks are up to, how they already incorporate nature education into their teaching, and showing off PLT’s awesome standards-aligned activities. We always generate great ideas to adapt activities for different folks, and there is an awesome spirit of collaboration at PD events.”
Tony is all about creating a welcoming space for educators and students alike. And his local community recognizes his commitment and dedication for doing so. Earlier this summer, Tony was named as the 2024 Informal Science Teacher of the Year by the Oklahoma Science Teaching Association.
Give space for nature
We always like to ask our People of PLT what suggestions they have for educators on how to incorporate PLT into their lessons. Tony shared some great advice at a workshop earlier this year with a group of middle school teachers. He said, “‘You can’t teach awe and appreciation for nature, but you can give space for it.’ They put it on the back of their camp t-shirts this year! I think PLT can help teachers build in more time for understanding of the world around them in their classes. My advice is to slow down and let there be time to notice.”
Start with one activity
Back in Tony’s classroom days, he loved using the outdoors as a way to get students more interested in the material he was teaching. “When I taught 7th grade math, I used to say, “You can draw a graph about anything!” I chose to teach outdoors and about our environment because my students were usually more engaged and more curious when learning about the natural world.
If you’re able to take your students outdoors safely, start small and try one lesson outside. See how things go and as you become more comfortable, increase outdoor time to once a month or once a week. “I believe everyone deserves to understand and love their place. I think that once you get kids looking closely at what is right outside their door, they quickly get curious and start asking questions and making connections.”
Teach language arts? Try the “Poet-Tree” activity from the Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide and encourage your students to get creative while writing about nature. Teach math? Collect, analyze and graph bugs you collect in the schoolyard during the “Birds and Bugs” activity from the K-8 guide. Whatever subject you’re teaching, there is a PLT activity you can do that uses nature as a learning tool.
Tony’s favorite PLT activity is “If You Were the Boss” from Explore Your Environment and Green Jobs: Exploring Forest Careers. “I love that the kids can make choices, then see how what they decided effects things like wildlife, how many trees are cut down, and how much money they will need to spend. I like giving everyone a chance to revise their choices if they didn’t like the outcomes the first time through. I think it gives kids a cool sense of agency.”
Get connected
Want to get meet other educators using PLT in your state? Interested in learning more about becoming a PLT facilitator to lead professional development events? Visit plt.org/yourstate to get connected with your local PLT Coordinator.
Access to High-Quality Nature-Based Education Resources for Multilingual Learners
According to Stanford University, researchers who analyzed multiple studies studying the impact of environmental education “found that students in schools with environmental education consistently outperform other schools on state standardized tests in math, reading, and writing.” In fact, the North American Association for Environmental Education says that “educators have called environmental education an ‘equalizer’ for kids who are struggling, as well as for those excelling or those with special needs.”
With the benefit of environmental education, students thrive in more than academics. Students (and educators) reap many physical and mental health benefits from being in and around nature—even if it is just looking at photographs of it! Confirmed benefits include improved behavior, increased engagement, decreased anxiety, and reduced absenteeism. Learning about the environment also helps encourage students to take positive actions to protect the environment, think more sustainably, and become more civic-minded.
So why aren’t more schools incorporating nature-based education into the curriculum? There are a variety of factors, ranging from too much on teachers’ plates and lack of safe access to the outdoors to limited resources for multilingual learners and equity gaps.
Research Shows
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were 5.3 million English learners enrolled in public schools in the Fall of 2021, with over 4 million students (nearly twice the population of New Mexico) who speak Spanish at home. At Project Learning Tree, we want to help improve access to nature-based education and high-quality education for all learners to flourish academically, socially, and emotionally. Every young person benefits from exposure to nature.
The Explora tu Ambiente: Guía de Actividades K-8 contains 50 activities organized by grade level (K-2, 3-5, and 6-8). The hands-on activities utilize nature to teach math, language arts, social studies, economics, art, and more. Each activity is multidisciplinary in approach, covering a variety of topics that are easy to weave into existing curriculum or programming.
Whether you work with multilingual learners, engage with Latino communities, lead after-school programs or summer camps, or teach the Spanish language, Explora tu Ambiente activities improve literacy, build STEM skills, and foster 21st century skills.
“This initiative is a crucial step in our mission to provide high-quality environmental education to all learners,” said Josh Brankman, Vice President of Education at SFI. “By offering our flagship curriculum in Spanish, we’re not only improving access to nature-based education but also supporting STEM and forest literacy skills for multilingual learners.”
Expanding Community Engagement
Several states with the PLT network have expanded their professional development offerings to include bilingual training. For example, just last year the PLT Illinois team trained four new Spanish-speaking facilitators and offered bilingual educator workshops throughout the state. We’re excited to grow our diverse event offerings to reach even more educators. When educators feel equipped to lead PLT activities, they are more likely to incorporate them into their lessons and enhance student learning.
Want to Learn More?
Learn how to incorporate inclusive outdoor learning strategies and activities with Latino communities. Join PLT and Corazón Latino for a special webinar on September 18, 2024, from 5:30-6:30 pm Eastern Time / 2:30-3:30 pm Pacific Time as we kick off Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations.
“Forests are the heart of our planet and the source of our collective health. We firmly believe that educating our communities about the worth of forests is an investment in our future. Education is the bridge between indifference and action, between destruction and conservation.” —Felipe Benítez, Executive Director and Founder of Corazón Latino. Corazón Latino is a national non-profit organization that seeks to generate social, environmental, and conservation initiatives that foster natural resource stewardship.
Thank You to the PLT Network!
With every new resource released, PLT could not accomplish our goals without the support of many individuals. We’d like to express our gratitude to Cecilia Ochoa Blackaller, PLT Mexico Coordinator, for launching the effort to translate the guide. Thanks to Cecilia’s dedication and passion, this resource has come to fruition! In addition, PLT would like to thank environmental education and translation experts Rafael Salgado (former PLT Education Operating Committee Member and Executive Director of the Cal-Wood Education Center) and Beau Salgado (Salgado & Co.), as well as TM Design, Inc., for spending countless hours providing support. Thank you!
Here at Project Learning Tree, we aspire to provide a lifetime of learning through our environmental education resources. I’ll be honest, when we initially thought about a “lifetime of learning”, our primary focus was on early childhood through young adulthood.
But leave it to a retired teacher from California to keep inspiring and educating far and wide, exhibiting the true meaning of a lifetime of learning.
Lola Coleman taught science and other subjects to middle and high school students in Southern California for nearly 20 years, even serving as a professional development facilitator for both Project Learning Tree and Project WILD. When she retired from teaching during the first year of COVID, she had hoped to volunteer in Los Angeles, Compton, and Lynwood Unified School Districts and connect students to nature through PLT. However, when that didn’t pan out, she set to work volunteering with a different audience, senior citizens.
Today, Lola co-leads an online-based Wellness Forum with senior-agers (as she fondly calls group members). They meet regularly via Zoom to talk about various aspects of wellness, from physical and emotional to environmental.
In April, Lola reached out to me via email with the subject line of “PLT for Seniors”. I was immediately intrigued. Over the course of their last several meetings, Lola and her co-facilitator, Gretchen, have been discussing the eight dimensions of wellness. Lola shared that she still reads The Branch newsletter and inquired to see if she could use some PLT materials with her group to celebrate Earth Day as their focus would be on environmental wellness.
Yes, yes, a resounding yes!
Lola invited me to participate in their Earth Day celebration and let me tell you, I feel beyond blessed to have had the opportunity! I left with a heart full and a reminder of why I absolutely love what I do.
Environmental Wellness at Every Age
Lola began the meeting by inviting everyone to take a few moments to just breathe. Deep centering breaths. As we did this, I was reminded by how this simple exercise grounds us all. Sometimes I have my own kiddos do this at home, and it has an immediate calming effect.
Before diving into the PLT activity, Lola set the stage, sharing a brief history of how Earth Day came to be and how events like the Cuyahoga River, once one of the most polluted rivers in the U.S, catching fire over 13 times spurred the creation of the Clean Water Act and the Environmental Protection Agency. “We celebrate Earth Day because it’s our home. We wouldn’t keep our house dirty, so why would we do that to our planet?” Lola said.
Lola encouraged the group to be mindful of all aspects of their lives because in doing so, it helps us achieve harmony with our environment. When we think about the impacts of our daily habits, like driving versus walking somewhere or tossing your food waste in the garbage versus composting or putting it into the green waste bin, we can lessen our negative impacts on the environment.
These little things can add up to make a positive difference!
Connecting to Our Environment
Lola led the group in the Personal Places activity from PLT’s Places We Live guide, fostering an incredible discussion about how intertwined we are with our environment and what special place each person has that holds meaning in their heart.
I loved listening to everyone’s stories and learning about what places inspire them.
One woman regularly passes by the Compton Community Garden, founded by Dr. Sheridan Ross. She loves how Dr. Ross took a vacant lot in a food desert, brought it to life with a beautiful garden that now nourishes the community, and teaches children about the value of our land and the environment. She hopes it inspires youth to learn more about our planet.
In addition, several individuals shared how the land they own today was originally owned by their ancestors who escaped slavery. It breaks their hearts knowing that younger generations don’t want to care for that land.
This activity and discussion sparked a deeper conversation into how communities can come together to connect with the environment.
How do we inspire young people to conserve and care for land, especially land that has been passed down generationally?
How can we turn vacant lots in urban areas and food deserts into community gardens like Dr. Ross did?
What can we do to make our planet better for our children when they grow up?
How do we harness what each person knows and use that to work together and help each other?
The takeaway from this powerful discussion was that it takes collective education and action to drive change. Lola shared how the seven principles of Kwanzaa can help communities make positive impacts – unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.
When we come together for the greater good, amazing things happen.
Consider bringing students to an assisted living residence and leading the Improve Your Place activity from Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide. Together, students and seniors can plant a vegetable garden and learn from one another while in nature.
Invite grandparents to participate in some fun nature activities that you can do in your backyard.
Whether you’re an educator, caregiver, parent, student, natural resources professional or anywhere in between, I encourage you to look for ways to cultivate intergenerational conversations, relationships, and work together on behalf of our environment.
Coming together for the first time in over 25 years, Project Learning Tree, Project WET, and Project WILD hosted an annual conference that was one for the record books! Over 250 people came to San Antonio, Texas over 4 days of connecting, sharing best practices, and learning from one another. We wanted to share a little recap of some of the highlights from this year’s conference.
Pre-Conference PLT/WET/WILD Educator Workshop
Typically, this conference is limited to PLT/WET/WILD State Coordinators and Facilitators, but this year we offered a pre-conference educator workshop that was free to local Texas educators thanks to a generous sponsorship from Manulife. Over 60 formal and nonformal educators received training and certification to bring environmental education experiences all three Projects into their work with Texas youth.
From learning about the parts of the tree (and literally becoming a human tree through song and movement in the Tree Factory activity from Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide) to understanding how land-use decisions are made, educators got a taste of how to incorporate hands-on activities from all three Projects into their programs.
Whether you need a one-time lesson or want to take a theme-based approach, there are so many options to choose from that make learning fun and accessible.
So, if you’ve ever wondered whether you should sign up for a PLT educator professional development event, the answer is YES!
97% of attendees agreed that after this workshop, they felt prepared to use PLT/WET/WILD with their students and 100% of attendees plan to use PLT/WET/WILD with their students within the next six months.
Keynote speaker, Minna Paul, inspired everyone, encouraging us to dream big.
Imagining a Brighter Future
To kick-off the main conference, keynote speaker Minna Paul, the Education and Engagement Officer with the San Antonio River Authority, shared her powerful story of dreaming big and making those dreams a reality.
Minna’s passion for nature and conservation began at an early age, growing up watching her father who was a senior officer with the forest service in India. Since moving to the U.S. 23 years ago, Minna has been laser-focused on achieving her dreams of making a positive impact on the environment.
She is a firm believer in harnessing the power of the collective and engaging communities to get involved. When people come together, they can do great things. Through many of the volunteer-led programs that Minna and her team organize, they are keeping waterways clean, removing invasive species, educating people of all ages, and making a BIG difference.
When you focus on what you want, instead of what you don’t want, you’ll see change happen. But most importantly, when you find where your passion and your work align, you’ve hit the jackpot. As Minna reminded us all, keep dreaming big.
Engaging ALL Communities
(L to R): Tuesday’s General Session – Panelists: Susana Cruz, David Buggs, Dr. Rickey Frierson, and KK Langley. Facilitators: Jerri Taylor and Kate Nagle
Tuesday’s general session brought together an incredible panel of leaders with a long-standing history of leading community work in the conservation and forest sector, facilitated by SFI & PLT’s Director of Education and PLT Network, Kate Nagle and Senior Director of Diversity and Career Pathways, Jerri Taylor. This engaging group discussed best practices for successfully developing collaborative relationships to advance environmental education.
Not every child has access to nature, to environmental education, to green career opportunities which is why all three organizations felt it was critical to have this open and honest conversation about doing the work to ensure access for all communities.
When it comes to fostering relationships, you must embrace being open, authentic, and intentional. The conversations you have may make you feel uncomfortable. But, Dr. Rickey Frierson, Interim VP of Student Success and Community and Engagement at Colorado State University said, “That’s ok. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Give grace and mercy for yourself and others.” You may say something you wish you hadn’t. You may make missteps. But you’ll learn. You’ll grow. You’ll connect.
Outreach vs. Engagement
What many organizations don’t understand is the difference between community outreach and community engagement.
Community outreach is one-sided. You’re sharing information and resources that you think are important to a particular community.
But the reality is that they may not be.
As panelist KK Langley, Tribal Relations Program Specialist for the US Forest Service Southern Region, shared, “There is a lot of hurt in so many communities. Don’t think you know everything when you walk into a room.”
Jerri Taylor said, “Community is much more than belonging to something; it’s about doing something together that makes belonging matter.”
If you truly want to engage and work with all communities to improve environmental education, it’s got to be a bilateral exchange. Relationships shouldn’t be one-sided. Jerri shared, “By taking an assets-based approach to community engagement, it builds on the assets already found in a community and mobilizes individuals, associations, and institutions to come together to build on their assets. Active participation and empowerment—and the prevention of disempowerment—are the basis of this practice.”
You need to understand the strengths and needs of a community and ask for the privilege to come to the table. Don’t come to the table with solutions. Come to the table with open arms, an open mind, and an open heart, and the solutions will come from the community and conversation.
But most importantly, as Susana Cruz, founder of Chicana in Nature, shared, “You have to show up…more than once.” Relationships and trust take time to build, so you must make the effort to show up, continually.
Moving from Listening to Planning and Doing
Panelist David Buggs, Director of Community Engagement for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, shared the importance of not just having a strategy when it comes to community engagement. “Make sure you’re doing the work. What are you going to do?”
Looking around the room, you could see people nodding their heads. So many organizations get stuck in planning, strategizing, and analyzing mode that change doesn’t actually happen.
After the general session, everyone was invited to attend breakout sessions focused on engaging with specific communities. Attendees had the opportunity to have open and honest conversations, ask questions, listen, and reflect.
Everyone left with concrete first steps for starting a conversation with a community-led organization in their own state – for doing the worktogether to make environmental education accessible to all.
Mexico PLT Coordinator, Cecilia Ochoa, showing students how to do a bark rubbing in their tree journals.
Teaching Little Learners at the Will Smith Zoo School
Imagine this.
Children running, exploring, digging, and creating…outdoors for 70% of their day. All while enjoying hands-on learning about nature, their ABCs, colors, shapes, and more.
Like so many nature-based and outdoor schools around the U.S., the Will Smith Zoo School is fostering sense of self, encouraging age-appropriate risky play, and giving us all hope for the next generation of environmental stewards.
As part of the conference, PLT State Coordinators and Education Operating Committees members had a special opportunity to visit the Will Smith Zoo School. We toured the preschool’s campus, the first daycare in the U.S. to be awarded LEED Platinum Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
After the tour, we broke out into smaller groups with each of the classes and led activities from Trees & Me: Activities for Exploring Nature with Young Children – making “Our Favorite Trees” scrapbooks from My Tree & Me, singing and dancing to “Yippee, Hooray!” from Parts to Play, and creating sun prints from The Shape of Things.
I had the pleasure of being with a class of 4- and 5-year-olds with special needs. We began by asking one question, “Who loves nature?”
Every single hand flew up in the air.
And when I asked, “How much?”, 14 pairs of little arms stretched out wide beside them.
We absolutely loved seeing how excited the kids were doing each activity. Their smiles, laughter, and most of all, love of nature made our hearts swell. Watching kids learn about and explore nature is incredibly fulfilling, and it’s exactly why we love what we do!
(L to R): Cynthia Chavez, California PLT State Coordinator, Jennifer Ortega, Leadership in Education Awardee, Dennis Mitchell, PLT Facilitator, and Rocco Saracina, SFI/PLT Director, Partnerships & Development(L to R): Jennifer Rude, Leadership in Education Awardee, Michelle Youngquist, Idaho PLT State Coordinator, and Rocco Saracina, SFI/PLT Director, Partnerships & Development
Celebrating Environmental Education Rockstars
The heart of PLT is our network – a collective of passionate, dedicated, creative, and amazing individuals who are boots-on-the-ground, leading PLT professional development in communities across the U.S. and even internationally in Canada, Chile, Japan, Mexico, and Japan. At this year’s conference, we honored several individuals who have gone above and beyond when it comes to delivering environmental education through PLT.
Leadership in Education Awards
Two incredible educators and PLT facilitators, Jennifer Rude (Idaho) and Jennifer Ortega (California), were honored with this year’s Leadership in Education Awards. We had the chance to celebrate them during our joint awards luncheon at the conference, along with Project WET and Project WILD’s Coordinator and Facilitator of the Year Awardees. Learn more about Jennifer Rude and Jennifer Ortega’s contributions to PLT.
Gold Star Awards
Every year, PLT selects two outstanding individuals, typically PLT State Coordinators, to honor with our Gold Star Award. This year we strayed ever so slightly from the norm—honoring one State Coordinator and one former PLT staff member who now serves as our curriculum advisor.
Wyoming PLT State Coordinator, Hazel Scharosch, recipient of the 2024 Gold Star Award
Hazel Scharosch, Wyoming PLT State Coordinator
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting Hazel Scharosch, our Wyoming PLT State Coordinator, consider yourself blessed. Her warmth and kindness radiate, and she welcomes everyone with a big hug. In her former life, Hazel taught in a one-room schoolhouse with kids from K-6 grades where she discovered PLT.
“I love PLT because it is absolutely essential to get people – especially young people like students – in touch with the outdoors. Folks tend to take care of things they enjoy and know something about. Basic info about our environment is crucial in the task of preserving it. In addition, PLT helped save my entire teaching career. For 30 years, I juggled all elementary grades, K-6, in the same classroom. I had to find ways to present content in many grade levels and subjects, using fewer activities, and PLT does exactly that. It is highly adaptable, very engaging, and allows flexibility over a wide range of age levels. I know for sure that every student learns outside: conducting educator workshops allows me to exponentially reach many more students than I could all by my lonesome self!”
Hazel went from being a dedicated teacher using PLT with her students to becoming a facilitator who was recognized as an outstanding Educator of the Year in 2007, and then finally serving as the State Coordinator for Wyoming for the past several years. Hazel is incredibly deserving of this award!
Jaclyn Stallard, Independent Curriculum Advisor for PLT, recipient of the 2024 Gold Star Award
Jaclyn Stallard, PLT Curriculum Advisor
You may have never met her, but you’ve likely seen her name in the acknowledgment pages of PLT curriculum resources.
Behind the scenes, Jaclyn Stallard has been working with PLT for nearly 20 years, serving as PLT’s Director of Curriculum and now as our independent Curriculum Advisor, helping to lead the development of so many of PLT’s incredible learning materials. Jaclyn’s love of nature, environmental education, and all things PLT shines brightly, as evidenced by the fact that when asking PLT State Coordinators if Jaclyn should be honored as a Gold Star Awardee, the answer was a resounding yes!
Jaclyn exudes positivity, empathy, creativity, and spirit. She approaches life with intentionality, and you’ll find that incorporated in every piece of curriculum she touches. We are so lucky to have Jaclyn on our team!
Congratulations to Hazel and Jaclyn for being this year’s recipients of the 2024 Gold Star Awards!
School may be out for summer, but that doesn’t mean learning and exploring has to stop! Get your learners outdoors this summer to connect with nature with these engaging and educational activities perfect for families.
Not only will they provide a fun break from screen time, but kids can continue developing their observational skills and appreciation for the natural world around them. When children spend time outside, it can improve their creativity, imagination, and overall physical and mental health, among many other positive things.
Walking in the Forest
Play detective on your next walk in the woods and discover how plants grow, age, decay, and more.
These outdoor learning activities not only provide opportunities for physical activity but also foster a deeper connection with the environment. Whether in your backyard, local park, or nearby trail, these activities are perfect for families to enjoy together while promoting learning and appreciation for nature.
For more outdoor activities, check out these resources:
Inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards is no easy feat, but for some, it’s a true calling. Each year, the Project Learning Tree (PLT) Leadership in Education Award recognizes those who have answered that call, making exceptional contributions to advancing PLT’s programs and initiatives at the state or regional level.
Imagine a classroom filled with students, their eyes gleaming with excitement as they engage in hands-on activities that connect them to nature and the environment. This is the reality that PLT Facilitators Jennifer Rude and Jennifer Ortega have brought to life. We are proud to honor them as our 2024 PLT Leadership in Education awardees. We will be celebrating these two individuals at this month’s joint PLT, Project WET, and Project WILD Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas!
Jennifer Rude – Teacher, Twin Lakes Elementary School, Idaho
Jennifer Rude’s journey with PLT began over a decade ago, and since then, she has become a pivotal figure in promoting environmental education across Idaho. As a PLT facilitator, Rude has gone above and beyond to spread awareness and empower educators to integrate hands-on PLT learning experiences into their teaching practices. Her tireless efforts have transcended geographical boundaries, bridging the gap between urban and rural communities in Idaho. By conducting facilitator trainings and fostering collaborations among educators, Rude has ensured that PLT reaches students, teachers, families, and communities statewide.
“Jennifer is a person who says ‘yes,'” shares Michelle Youngquist, the Idaho PLT State Coordinator. “Yes, to being a PLT facilitator. Yes, to being her region’s ‘go-to’ PLT leader, equally comfortable leading activities for at-risk youth or adults at a Forest Owner Field Day.”
Jennifer Ortega – Lecturer, Cal Poly Humboldt, California
Jennifer Ortega’s journey with PLT is characterized by her passion for environmental education and commitment to nurturing future educators. Over the past 12 years, Ortega has been instrumental in promoting PLT programs and advocating for environmental literacy in California. As a lecturer at Cal Poly Humboldt, she has not only incorporated PLT curriculum into her own teaching, but has also inspired countless pre-service teachers to embrace nature-based learning experiences. Ortega’s impact goes beyond the classroom, as she actively participates in PLT’s statewide advisory committee and pre-service educator community, contributing her expertise and insights to enhance the program’s reach and effectiveness.
“Jennifer has been a leader on the California PLT team for over a decade,” says Cynthia R. Chavez, the California PLT State Coordinator. “She is a joy to work with–her passion for education is transparent in every conversation.”
Congratulations to all this year’s award recipients and nominees!
Bring PLT Into Your School or Community
Join our growing network of educators who are empowering the next generation of environmental stewards today! With over 1,200 PLT workshops held nationwide each year, organized locally by PLT’s state programs and led by trained PLT facilitators, there are plenty of opportunities for you to get involved. Whether you’re seeking online or in-person professional development workshops or aspiring to become a PLT workshop facilitator, visit www.plt.org/your-state-project-learning-tree-program/ to connect with PLT in your state.
Mourning doves are easy-to-spot birds in your backyard. Some migrate and some do not.
To celebrate World Migratory Bird Day this month, we have a special guest contributor, Naamal De Silva, Vice President of Together for Birds at American Bird Conservancy (ABC). Naamal and the team at ABC worked closely with PLT to develop an incredible learning resource and activity collection, Together for Birds.
We hope you enjoy this guest-authored article and that it inspires thoughtful conversations with the children in your life.
What makes a home? What does your home look, feel, and smell like? Is it a refuge, making you feel safe or cozy? Is your home your apartment or house? Do you feel most at home in a garden, at the library, by a lake, or at your grandparents’ farm?
We all deserve safe and comfortable homes, close relationships, and nourishing food. When we have those things, we are more likely to be happy and more likely to thrive, whether at school or work. This is true for people, and it is just as true for birds. As you think about or walk around your neighborhood or schoolyard, consider what different homes look like for humans. Can you spot any places that are homes for birds? As you walk or stay still and observe, do you hear more birds in certain places? Do you see any trees, bushes, chimneys, or ledges that might be safe places for birds to spend the day and night or to build a nest?
And considering your own home again, is it where your parents grew up? If not, why did your family move from one home to another?
People often move from one place to another to be closer to family because their home place has become unsafe or because they are seeking work to feed themselves and their families. It is not too different for birds. The birds that stay in one place year-round might roost in the same tree each night or might move a short distance. Other birds, called migrants, move far greater distances in search of food and nest sites.
In the northeast United States, where I live, we are in the middle of spring migration, where billions of birds are flying hundreds or thousands of miles from homes in the Caribbean, Central, and South America to the places in the United States and Canada where they will find mates, create new homes, raise babies, and find more abundant food. In these cooler places, trees are blooming, and there will be more and more insects, seeds, and nectar over the next few months. As these abundant sources of food dwindle in the fall, these billions of birds from over 300 species will return once more to homes in warmer subtropical and tropical places. Most birds use celestial cues to fly along remarkably consistent “flyways.”
You can check out how many birds are flying above your home using Bird Cast. According to that database, over 7 million birds have flown over Washington, D.C, so far this spring. I think that is amazing! This map shows the likely timing of peak migration in the continental United States – when the largest number of birds will be flying over your region. Turning lights off can help migrating birds find their way.
Warblers are small, sometimes bright songbirds that can be hard to spot. They have beautiful songs.
You can celebrate all these remarkable birds on May 11 and again in October during World Migratory Bird Day. This year, the focus is on insects–they are declining throughout the world due in part to the loss of their own homes in native trees and wild grasses and among dead leaves and on creek beds. Like birds and people, they get sick because of the overuse of toxic pesticides and for a number of other interconnected reasons. The good news is that, together, we can protect insects, birds, and each other in many ways, from planting native species in our schoolyards and gardens to advocating for more trees in cities to volunteering with local environmental organizations. There are also simple ways that you prevent birds from colliding into windows. My own organization, American Bird Conservancy, works to protect migrating birds throughout their journeys and in all the places they call home.
I believe that caring for birds begins with noticing them. The more we pause, ask questions, and observe, the more likely we are to fall in love with their songs, feathers, and remarkable perseverance. This noticing goes even further–the more we take this time for reflection, especially if it is out in a garden or a forest or by a lake or the ocean, the better we are likely to feel. So this year, as we celebrate the marvels of migration, I encourage you to pause, to look or listen, and to ask questions.
American Bird Conservancy works for birds, and we are inspired by birds in so many ways. We would love to hear what inspires you: what birds, memories, books, and wild places? Take this brief surveyto tell us about your inspiration!
Slow Birding: The Art and Science of Enjoying the Birds in Your Own Backyard, by Joan E. Strassmann
Backyard Bird Chronicles, by Amy Tan
Spark Birds, edited by Jonathan Franzen, from Orion
Alfie and Me, by Carl Safina
Books for Kids
Migration: Exploring the Remarkable Journeys of Birds, by Melissa Mayntz
Lights Out: A Movement to Help Migrating Birds, by Jessica Stremer, illustrated by Bonnie Pang
Follow the Flyway: The Marvel of Bird Migration, by Sarah Nelson, illustrated by Maya Hanisch
How to Find a Bird, by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Diana Sudyka
The Little Book of Backyard Bird Songs, by Andrea Pinnington and Caz Buckingham
Outside In, by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Cindy Derby
Birds, by Carme Lemniscates
Crows: Genius Birds, by Kyla Vanderklug, Science Comics
Bird Boy, by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani
It’s not a book, but I’d also recommend the game Wingspan, especially for older kids and adults
Continue Exploring the Wonder of Birds
PLT’s resources provide engaging ways for children to discover birds and nature. Here are some fun activities to do with the learners in your life:
Ages 1-6 | Trees & Me: Activities for Exploring Nature with Young Children
Activities within Trees & Me encourage children to slow down and take notice of nature and what’s around them, using their five senses.
The Shape of Things – As part of this activity, little learners make their own binoculars out of paper towel tubes, perfect for spotting beautiful birds outside.
Sounds Around – One of the experiences of this activity is creating a forest concert. Encourage children to close their eyes and use their listening ears. From birds chirping and squirrels chattering to the wind rustling leaves and cars driving down the road, you might hear a variety of sounds. Children get to create their own forest music using their bodies and voices to mimic the sounds they hear in nature.
Tree Textures – What makes the perfect home for a bird? In this activity, children get to make their very own bird nest using different materials.
Grades K-5 | Together for Birds Activity Collection
PLT and ABC came together to create a special downloadable activity collection to invite students to investigate ways that birds and other living things depend on their habitat (home) to live. Here are the activities:
Trees as Habitats – Students inventory the birds and other organisms living in, on, or around trees and learn how trees help them get the things they need to live.
Birds and Bugs – Students discover the value of protective coloration as they become birds in search of colored bugs.
Neighborhood Naturalist – Students will explore a nearby habitat–their backyard, schoolyard, or other outdoor setting–to look for signs of animals living there.
Grades K-8 | Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide
Check out a few of the many activities within our K-8 guide that help students experience nature.
Charting Biodiversity – In this activity, students in grades 3-5 discover how plants and animals are adapted for survival, from where they live to how they move and their physical characteristics.
Life on the Edge – Students in grades 6-8 model processes that can lead to species, like birds, becoming endangered. They will conduct research about a particular species and create a “public relations campaign” to raise awareness on behalf of that animal or plant.
Try these and many more activities with your students to introduce them to the incredible natural world!
If you’ve ever been to an in-person PLT professional development event, you’ve been lucky enough to meet some incredible individuals who are passionate about training educators, advancing environmental education, and having a lot of fun with PLT activities! Our PLT facilitators love sharing their wealth of knowledge, tips and tricks for leading nature-based activities, and inspiring educators to incorporate PLT lessons into their classrooms and programs.
This Earth Month, in our People of PLT feature, we’re celebrating not one, but two amazing PLT facilitators from Nebraska whose enthusiasm for environmental education is visible to all who work with them.
Meet Dena Harshbarger, Ph.D., PLT Facilitator & Professor at University of Nebraska, Kearney, College of Education
Before she began fostering the next generation of teachers, Dena Harshbarger, Ph.D., spent 18 years in the classroom as a 4th and 6th grade teacher. Today, Dena is a professor at the University of Nebraska, Kearney (UNK), where she teaches elementary education methods courses to preservice teachers. She loves sharing her passion for teaching and classroom experience with her students, so much so that last year the Nebraska State Forest Service honored her for her dedication to environmental education!
In 2022, Dena became a PLT Facilitator after Jack Hilgert, Nebraska PLT State Coordinator, reached out to her about offering a workshop for her elementary science methods students. “I was trained in Project WILD and Project WET when I was an undergraduate student at UNK in 1992. As a result, I have always been an advocate for environmental education and using the outdoors as an extension of the classroom.”
Incorporating PLT into her preservice coursework was a natural fit. “I strive to find ways to create inquiry-based learning opportunities in which students can discover and ponder the world around us. PLT perfectly aligns with my focus on constructivism and experiential learning. I enjoy getting UNK preservice teachers excited about using PLT in their future classroom.” In fact, Dena’s favorite days are when she sees her preservice students teach elementary students during their field experiences. It brings her back to her classroom days and fills her with pride seeing these future teachers in action – “It’s a full circle moment for me.”
Nebraska PLT State Coordinator, Jack Hilgert (far right, back row), with UNK preservice teachers during a PLT workshop
One of the things Dena loves most about PLT is how engaged students (including her preservice teachers) are during activities. Her favorite PLT activity is Every Tree for Itself from the Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide. “The students are physically and mentally engaged in the lesson as they actively discover how available resources impact a tree’s growth and survival rate. This type of multimodal learning opportunity deepens students’ understanding and increases recall and retention.”
“Today, many children spend less time outdoors and have a more sedentary lifestyle. My goal for elementary and UNK students alike is to gain background knowledge through experiential learning, so they are informed citizens. PLT provides opportunities in which PreK-12 students can explore the world around them and develop an appreciation of nature.” By training future teachers how to use PLT, Dena hopes that when they do enter the classroom, they’ll feel comfortable using nature as a tool to teach about multiple subjects, know how to create safe spaces to teach outdoors, and be more inclined to use PLT in their lessons.
Meet Hannah Rennard-Ganley, PLT Facilitator & Director of Education and Outreach at Keep Omaha Beautiful
As the Director of Education and Outreach at Keep Omaha Beautiful, Hannah Rennard-Ganley teaches educators how to engage students in urban nature. “I love helping people understand that nature exists within the city, how people are part of that ecosystem, and how they can help improve the environment starting right in their own backyard (or schoolyard, business, park, playground)!”
Hannah’s long-time love of all things PLT began nearly two decades ago when she became a facilitator in 2007 (or according to her “a million years ago and 10,000 jobs ago”!). She’s led PLT professional development events in Missouri, Illinois, and now Nebraska. It’s her goal to connect educators to great resources, like PLT, that can be used in formal and informal settings.
“I became a facilitator because I’m passionate about providing great resources to educators, and PLT is a great resource for educators in both informal and formal educational settings. I like empowering educators to feel comfortable teaching about the environment. So often people forget about the urban forest when they are teaching kids about nature. Facilitating workshops for educators allows me to help educators look at the nature within the city in a new way – the whole world outside becomes their classroom – while also providing hands-on, relevant activities.”
Like Dena, Hannah loves just how engaging and fun PLT activities are. Here are her top three favorite activities:
Bursting Buds from Explore Your Environment | “I like Bursting Buds because it can be done at so many different levels. Little kids can understand the parts of a tree and spring renewal from the observations, and older students can learn the anatomy of a tree and participate in detailed dissection.”
The Shape of Things from Trees & Me: Activities for Exploring Nature with Young Children | “Going for a shape walk forces students to slow down and make observations of the world around them. It can also be repeated many times, and kids observe different things each time they do it. And the leaf dance makes everyone laugh!”
Parts to Play from Trees & Me | Hannah thinks the Tree Costumes activity, where children dress like a tree, is fantastic. “Any time you get little kids to dress in costume, they learn so much and have a blast. I really enjoy making Kindergarten ‘forests’!”
Tips for Getting Started with PLT Lessons
When it comes to training current and future educators, there is a delicate balance of teaching to state and national standards and also keeping students with differing backgrounds and abilities engaged with what they’re learning. There are multiple competing priorities for educators today that Dena frequently hears: “I don’t have time to do PLT” or “How do educators use PLT if they are obligated to teach to the fidelity of their program?”.
In the Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide, you can find activities by subject, grade-band, setting, and differentiated instruction, plus you’ll find an Index organized by topic. This helpful reference makes lesson planning easy.
Dena says, “PLT does not need to be an “add-on” to your existing curriculum. The PLT lessons include cross-curricular components that potentially deepen understanding and make concepts applicable to real-world phenomena. Finding time to weave a PLT lesson into your existing curriculum or standards-based instruction will potentially accomplish many learning objectives with one lesson. Students can read, write, and discuss environmental concepts in a meaningful way.”
Both Hannah and Dena recommend starting small.
Dena suggests selecting “one or two lessons that would work well with your goals/learning objectives.” Plus, she shares how you can adapt and break apart activities into short and easy-to-implement formats. Hannah agrees. “Don’t be afraid to fit PLT into the time you have. I have built whole semester long units around PLT activities. I’ve also used a fraction of an activity for a quick 15-minute “brain break” during other educational programs. One of the fantastic things about PLT is that there is such a variety in the activities that you can make it fit the time you have.”
Sometimes, educators worry about taking students outside for lessons. Dena recommends you “explicitly teach and model expectations for outdoor activities prior to going out or distributing materials.” Setting expectations up front helps set the stage for success.
Always Be Learning
The beauty of PLT’s professional development is that you’re not only learning how to use nature to teach, but you can be inspired by other educators. Hannah says, “Take as many classes as you can! I am super familiar with PLT curriculum and activities, but I LOVE watching how other people teach them. I feel like I learn something new every time I see someone teach. And when I take classes, I participate in activities that I don’t always teach so it opens up new options.”
But most of all, Dena says, “Get excited and enjoy watching the students get excited about learning using this ‘TREE’-mendous resource and program!”
Ways to Get Involved with PLT
Educator Professional Development: If you’re interested in taking a PLT professional development course, check out events happening near you.
Preservice/Higher Education: PLT is an amazing resource for those working with preservice teachers and natural resource students. Contact your PLT State Coordinator to bring PLT into your preservice or higher education program.
Become a PLT Facilitator: We’re always looking for individuals who want to share their passion for PLT and environmental education with others! Connect with your PLT State Coordinator to learn more about becoming a PLT workshop facilitator.
Women make up just 16% of forestry and conservation professionals in the United States, according to 2019 data from the Society of American Foresters. The field also lacks racial diversity, with the U.S. Census finding that less than 3% of foresters and conservation scientists identify as African American. In Canada, that number is higher, with 17% of women in forestry, but only 7% of the workforce is Indigenous (including women). This underrepresentation of women in the forest and conservation sector, especially Black and Indigenous women, underscores the need for greater inclusion across the US and Canada.
So, I want to introduce you to three incredible women in forestry. By sharing the perspectives of these women, we hope to encourage and inspire greater participation by women of diverse backgrounds in the forest and conservation sector. After all, if you can see it, you can be it.
Asia L. Dowtin, Assistant Professor of Urban and Community Forestry, Department of Forestry
Asia Dowtin, PhD discovered her passion for the environment at a young age. Initially fascinated by meteorology, she eventually found her true calling in climatology, earning a master’s degree in Geography and a doctorate with a focus on Urban Forest Hydrology.
Asia’s journey was inspired by the presence of Black women in the field, notably Vivian Brown, a meteorologist. Reflecting on her early aspirations, Asia states, “I remember being so inspired by seeing a Black Woman on the television screen and by the fact that she was giving national-level insight to weather predictions and recommendations on how folks should prep for pending weather-related hazards. I knew then that I wanted to be like her.”
Although she ultimately pursued a path different from meteorology, much of the guidance that led Asia to her current position came from accomplished and highly respected women in earth sciences and natural resource management fields. Asia emphasizes the importance of mentorship and sharing, “Receiving those votes of confidence has helped me each step along the way.”
Asia’s current role involves teaching urban and community forestry at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on quantifying hydrologic and nutrient cycling in urban forests to inform effective management plans. She finds joy in making real-world connections for the scholarship in urban and community forestry.
“The most rewarding aspect of my current job is that I have an extension appointment. As such, I have the responsibility and privilege to work with a vast array of stakeholders, helping them to find useful applications for the research my colleagues and I are conducting. I appreciate being able to make real-world connections for the scholarship that is being done in urban and community forestry,” says Asia
Her proudest accomplishments are linked to her students, stating, “I can’t tell you how happy and proud it makes me to see them achieve monumental things while they’re still in school, and all the more, to see the phenomenal things that they go on to do post-graduation.”
Additionally, she shares, “I am very grateful to have been appointed by the US Secretary of Agriculture to the National Urban and Community Advisory Council. What a time it is to be helping to shape the future of urban and community forestry in the United States, and what an honor it is to be working alongside my fellow council members to do so.”
Offering advice to aspiring professionals, Asia emphasizes being open and honest about interests and goals. She encourages the development of a supportive community of peers and mentors, acknowledging the different perspectives they bring.
“The longer I work, the more I realize there’s so much that I still don’t know, despite the degrees, number of years in the field, or accolades. The best ways that I’ve been able to fill these personal ‘knowledge gaps’ is by learning from other people. To me, that is the value of diversity in the field of forestry and conservation,” adds Asia.
Beth Hill, Outreach and Education Manager, North Dakota Forest Service, North Dakota PLT State Coordinator
Meet Beth Hill
Outreach and Education Manager at the North Dakota Forest Service, North Dakota PLT State Coordinator
With a bachelor’s degree in Soil Science from North Dakota State University, Beth Hill has spent her whole career in her home of North Dakota, first as a Soil Scientist, then as an Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Agent, a Community Forestry Specialist, and now in her current role at the North Dakota Forest Service.
Her journey into forestry began in high school through participation in the Envirothon competition, a pivotal experience that opened her eyes to natural resource fields. Reflecting on her early exposure, Beth shares, “My advisor, Val Smallbeck, really saw potential in me and encouraged me to join, and I can’t thank her enough! As a city kid, I didn’t have a lot of exposure or experience with the outdoors, so this competition really opened my eyes to natural resource fields like soils and forestry.”
Beth’s work focuses on outreach, education, and fostering connections between communities and forests in North Dakota. “When people think of North Dakota, trees are definitely not the first thing that comes to mind. It’s incredibly satisfying to see a tree that I helped a community plant grow and flourish,” says Beth.
Her role involves diverse responsibilities, from managing agency communications to providing forestry education to PreK-12 students statewide. Beth takes pride in her agency’s impact, stating, “Just last year in direct education alone, we reached more than 33,600 students, teachers, and other customers.”
Beth’s biggest piece of advice is to find a mentor, “Having someone, especially a woman, in the same field to ask questions, help you make connections, and advocate for you is invaluable. Connections are so important!”
She encourages individuals to surround themselves with peers sharing a common career field, citing her positive experience with an agricultural sorority. Beth emphasizes the importance of not fearing career changes and pursuing personal fulfillment.
“Often, it isn’t best to just do what we have always done; by challenging the status quo and asking questions, we can see our mindsets change and the resources improve because of it. Each person brings a unique set of skills to the table, and different perspectives are essential for growth,” adds Beth.
Christine Leduc, Vice President, Communications and Government Relations, Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Christine Leduc is a Registered Professional Forester with over a decade of experience in forestry, policy, communications, and more recently, Indigenous relations. Holding a Master of Forest Conservation from the University of Toronto, Christine currently leads SFI’s binational communications team. With a unique pathway going from government to private sector to non-profit, Christine is especially interested in investing in young people and encourage women to pursue career in forestry to achieve leadership positions.
Her academic journey at the University of Toronto ignited her passion for sustainable resource management, laying the foundation for an impactful career in forestry. Being a female forester from the city came with a unique set of challenges when she first began working in the bush. As she transitioned from living in downtown Montreal to Northern Canada, she recounts the shift from the urban setting using the metro as the everyday commute to learning to drive a truck, navigating forest access roads safely, and spending long days alone in the bush, some of which she did while pregnant.
Reflecting on her experiences, Christine emphasizes the importance of overcoming self-doubt and fear, particularly for young women pursuing their dreams in forestry. Advocating for greater female representation in the sector, she states, “Forestry has historically been male-dominated, yet women represent half the population. How can we make the best decisions when our leadership and our workforce don’t reflect the society we live in?”
Christine stresses the significance of women bringing unique perspectives to decision-making processes. She encourages women to fearlessly pursue their dreams and apply for jobs even if they feel unqualified, highlighting the exciting transformations occurring for women in forestry. “It’s an exciting time to be a woman in forestry. In my career, I’ve seen so much progress when it comes to creating an inclusive workplace for women. It’s time to join the sector and add to this momentum,” says Christine.
Discover Rewarding Green Careers in the Forest & Conservation Sector
In celebrating International Women’s Day and International Day of Forests, the stories of Asia, Beth, and Christine inspire and underscore the imperative for greater representation, mentorship, and diverse perspectives in forestry.
Interested in a green career connected to forests? With a wealth of resources available, women and individuals of all ages can discover the many rewarding green careers connected to caring for our forests and natural resources.
Here are some great resources to learn more:
Browse green jobs and assess your STEM skills on plt.org/WorkingForForests. Discover the variety of careers available and how you can make a difference.
Explore how the PLT Green Mentor program connects young people ages 18-30 with green professionals across Canada and the United States to support the next generation’s efforts to build their forest and conservation knowledge and career goals—and gain new perspectives while networking.
Use the Green Jobs guide to expose youth ages 12-25 to the many green career paths related to forestry and natural resources. Bring lessons into classrooms, youth programs, field trips, and more.
Check out PLT’s Forest Literacy Framework. The framework offers 100 forest concepts for grades K-12, organized into the following four themes: What is a forest? Why do forests matter? How do we sustain our forests? What is our responsibility to forests?
What better way to kick off the school year than by making your space a greener place? Use your school grounds to explore outdoor learning and earn Tree Campus K-12 recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation!
Give space for nature
According to Stanford University, researchers who 
The 
Coming together for the first time in over 25 years, Project Learning Tree, Project WET, and Project WILD hosted an annual conference that was one for the record books! Over 250 people came to San Antonio, Texas over 4 days of connecting, sharing best practices, and learning from one another. We wanted to share a little recap of some of the highlights from this year’s conference.
As panelist KK Langley, Tribal Relations Program Specialist for the US Forest Service Southern Region, shared, “There is a lot of hurt in so many communities. Don’t think you know everything when you walk into a room.”
Moving from Listening to Planning and Doing
Jennifer Rude’s journey with PLT began over a decade ago, and since then, she has become a pivotal figure in promoting environmental education across Idaho. As a PLT facilitator, Rude has gone above and beyond to spread awareness and empower educators to integrate hands-on PLT learning experiences into their teaching practices. Her tireless efforts have transcended geographical boundaries, bridging the gap between urban and rural communities in Idaho. By conducting facilitator trainings and fostering collaborations among educators, Rude has ensured that PLT reaches students, teachers, families, and communities statewide. 
Jennifer Ortega’s journey with PLT is characterized by her passion for environmental education and commitment to nurturing future educators. Over the past 12 years, Ortega has been instrumental in promoting PLT programs and advocating for environmental literacy in California. As a lecturer at Cal Poly Humboldt, she has not only incorporated PLT curriculum into her own teaching, but has also inspired countless pre-service teachers to embrace nature-based learning experiences. Ortega’s impact goes beyond the classroom, as she actively participates in PLT’s statewide advisory committee and pre-service educator community, contributing her expertise and insights to enhance the program’s reach and effectiveness. 
Ages 1-6 | Trees & Me: Activities for Exploring Nature with Young Children
Grades K-5 | Together for Birds Activity Collection
Grades K-8 | Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide
Before she began fostering the next generation of teachers, Dena Harshbarger, Ph.D., spent 18 years in the classroom as a 4th and 6th grade teacher. Today, Dena is a professor at the 
As the Director of Education and Outreach at 
