Forests provide the very materials that make up our daily lives. From the air we breathe to the products we use each day, forests are essential ecosystems that sustain us. Recognizing the immense value of forests, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 21st as the International Day of Forests, a day to celebrate and raise awareness about our vital forest ecosystems. Every year, this special day is adorned with a new theme, and for this year, the spotlight is on “Forests and Innovation.”
So, why the emphasis on innovation? Because forests are shaping the future.
Imagine a world where most of the materials we use in our daily lives come from sustainable sources, reducing our impact on the environment. Thanks to innovative breakthroughs, materials derived from forests and trees are being developed as eco-friendly substitutes for plastics, building materials, fabrics, and various other everyday items.
Healthy Forests = Healthy People
Let’s take a closer look at some not-so-commonly thought-of items that come from forests!
Breakfast
You might be surprised how many components of your morning routine originate in forests. The wood tables we eat breakfast on, the apple cider we drink, the maple syrup we pour, and even the chocolate we enjoy can be traced back to trees and forests. Beyond flavors, trees also provide essential functional ingredients, like natural cellulose fiber from trees that keep shredded cheese from clumping in your omelet.
Bathroom
Forests are an integral part of our self-care and personal grooming routines too. Tree resins and plant celluloses are core ingredients found in toothpaste, deodorant, nail polish, mascara, lipstick, shampoo, henna hair dye, and many other daily-use products. Take a moment to appreciate the diverse natural origins of the items in your bathroom cabinet.
Clothing
Did you know much of the fabric you wear could come straight from a forest? Thanks to modern eco-friendly innovations in textiles, fabrics like lyocell, modal, and viscose are made from dissolving wood pulp and tree leaves. Additionally, natural rubber latex extracted from rubber trees forms the basis for rain boots, elastic, and stretchable clothing. With the right materials, trees can provide the raw resources for your entire outfit.
Shelter
Forests form the foundation for the homes we live in. Wood framing, doors, furniture, lumber, plywood, particle board, and wooden flooring originate from trees. Sustainable forestry practices can provide renewable resources for our shelter needs.
Paper Products
Paper and cardboard come directly from trees and forests, providing us with notebooks, packaging, tissues, paper towels, newspapers, magazines, books, and more. As our reliance on paper products grows, sustainable forest management becomes increasingly important.
Musical Instruments
Many instruments like acoustic guitars, violins, drums, and pianos depend on wood from trees like spruce, maple, ebony, and rosewood for their resonant sound. While learning your favorite tune, consider the forest origins of your musical companion.
Food Packaging
Beyond paper, cellulose derived from tree pulp is commonly used for food packaging, straws, and disposable cups, providing an innovative renewable, and compostable solution to plastic pollution.
Medicine
From the bark to the leaves, the trees in our forests have been integral to traditional medicine. Cellulose ether, extracted from wood, serves diverse roles in pill production and as a thickening agent in liquid medicines. Additionally, ongoing research unveils forest-derived compounds for treating various illnesses. Take a moment to appreciate the natural roots of the remedies in your medicine cabinet.
The Impact of Forests Beyond Everyday Uses
The positive influence of forests extends far beyond the consumer products and materials they provide. Forests offer beautiful natural recreational spaces, clean our air and water supplies, and improve community health and well-being. Most importantly, as natural carbon sinks, forests play a crucial role in combating climate change. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, helping regulate Earth’s delicate climate balance. Protecting and sustainably managing forests is a vital part of ensuring a livable climate for future generations.
Celebrate International Day of Forests with Project Learning Tree (PLT) Resources
It’s clear that our forests provide a good deal more to our lives than what meets the eye! So, the next time you use a forest-derived product, remember the untold story of innovation and sustainability that lies within.
Free Family Activity
Use this free PLT activity We All Need Trees to help children discover different products we get from trees and how much we depend on forests in our daily lives.
PLT’s Forest Literacy Framework also serves as a helpful and complementary resource that organizes 100 forest concepts for grades K-12 into four key themes:
What is a forest?
Why do forests matter?
How do we sustain our forests?
What is our responsibility to forests?
On International Day of Forests and beyond, let’s continue to explore, appreciate, and conserve our forests for the well-being of the planet and generations to come!
Are you ready to be part of something extraordinary? We are thrilled to announce a milestone event that promises to shape the future of environmental education in classrooms and communities across the nation. For the first time in over 25 years, Project Learning Tree, Project WET, and Project WILD are joining forces for a groundbreaking joint conference!
We are inviting all professional development leaders to join us May 13-17, 2024 in beautiful San Antonio, Texas for a week filled with experiential learning, inspiring speakers, and plenty of opportunities to connect (and reconnect!) with individuals passionate about environmental education.
Every journey begins with a single step, and yours starts here! We invite you to be part of a movement that has been at the forefront of environmental education for decades, reshaping the way educators connect students with nature through the power of place-based learning. Together, PLT, Project WET, and Project WILD reach over 30,000 educators annually with an estimated reach of over 2.5 million students across the country.
Who Should Attend the Conference?
Individuals who lead PLT-WET-WILD programs in their state
Facilitators of PLT-WET-WILD professional development workshops
Decision makers who determine professional development opportunities for their school or district (administrators, science/environmental education curriculum leads, and professional development facilitators)
This conference is your gateway to unleashing the full potential of PLT, Project WET, and Project WILD in your educational community. It’s where innovation meets inspiration and where collaboration sparks transformation.
Be a part of creative exploration and investigation as it unfolds before your eyes when you use the natural environment, including trees, water, and animals, to teach students about STEM, language arts, social studies, and more.
Registration at this time is full; however, you can join our waitlist. Individuals on the waitlist will be notified in late April if additional spots open.
Despite facing marginalization, Black Americans have made significant, but often overlooked contributions to environmentalism. This Black History Month, we want to recognize this legacy, from historical hidden figures, some highlighted in our guide, Black Faces in Green Spaces: The Journeys of Black Professionals in Green Careers, to modern environmental leaders. Their work lays the foundation for a more diverse and inclusive future in these fields.
Legacy of Pioneers
George Washington Carver: Biomimicry and Crop Rotation
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, George Washington Carver emerged as a trailblazer in environmental science. Carver’s groundbreaking work in crop rotation revolutionized resource conservation. His understanding of nature’s interconnectedness, expressed through biomimicry principles, emphasized the importance of considering long-term consequences in any action. Carver’s legacy extends beyond his innovations; it is a testament to the importance of sustainable agriculture and resource management practices.
Hattie Carthan: Urban Environmental Justice
During the 1930s-70s, Hattie Carthan, a community organizer in Brooklyn, became a trailblazer in urban environmental justice. Her efforts focused on planting trees, establishing community gardens, and combating pollution in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Carthan’s work led to improved sanitation, air quality, and increased green spaces, showcasing the transformative power of community-led environmental initiatives.
Photo donated by Bernice Green to the Brooklyn Public Library. Photographer unknown
Carolyn Finney, a storyteller, author of Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors, and a cultural geographer, works to develop greater cultural competency within environmental organizations. Her efforts challenge media representations of difference and aim to increase awareness of how privilege influences environmental discourse. By emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives, Finney contributes to a more inclusive environmental movement.
As the founder of Local Nature Lab and a member of #BlackBotanistsWeek, Georgia Silvera Seamans designs urban ecology programs for New Yorkers of all ages, emphasizing the importance of city trees. Seamans’ work showcases the vital role urban forestry plays in creating sustainable and resilient cities, challenging the traditional perception of environmentalism as a solely rural concern.
Known as the “Black Forager,” Alexis Nikole Nelson gained prominence for her social media presence highlighting foraging finds and sustainable cooking techniques. Her engaging videos on TikTok and Instagram showcase her encyclopedic knowledge of foraging and contribute to a deeper understanding of the indigenous roots of foraging in America. Nelson’s work promotes a connection between people and the land while advocating for sustainable practices in food sourcing.
Dr. Beverly Wright is an environmental justice scholar and advocate who has dedicated her career to addressing environmental harm and health inequities. She is the founder of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. Through her work, Wright highlights the disproportionate impact of environmental issues on marginalized communities and advocates for policies that prioritize justice and equity.
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson: Environmental Justice Scholar
A marine biologist and policy expert, Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson co-founded The All We Can Save Project and the nonprofit Urban Ocean Lab. Through her podcast “How to Save a Planet,” she asks the big questions about climate change, emphasizing the need for action. Johnson’s multidisciplinary approach bridges the gap between science, policy, and activism, advocating for comprehensive solutions to environmental challenges.
“Black in Environment,” a nonprofit with a mission to build community for Black people in environmental spaces. Their work aims to counter the false narrative that Black people do not care about the environment by highlighting the multigenerational presence of Black individuals in the environmental movement. Through scholarship, activism, and engagement, this organization contributes to a more inclusive and representative environmental sector.
Created by Project Learning Tree, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences,Black Faces in Green Spaces: The Journeys of Black Professionals in Green Careers guideis designed for middle and high school students, pre-professional youth, parents, and natural resource professionals looking to increase diversity within the natural resources professions.
During Black History Month and beyond, we aim to amplify diverse voices and perspectives in the environmental space.
Did you know that Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service? On January 15, 2024, we can volunteer as a way not only to honor the legacy of Dr. King but also to come together to improve our communities.
There are many ways, big and small, to give back.
Here are some service projects you can do with the youth in your life. Some of these activities may require coordination with others in your community or school.
10 Community Service Project Ideas
1. Plant a tree. Trees are invaluable assets to our communities, providing shade, cooling streets and buildings, providing homes for animals, and contributing to a community’s sense of place. Be sure to research which trees are best to plant in your area.
2. Become a Green Ribbon School. The U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools initiative recognizes schools for their sustainability efforts. Learn more about what it takes to become recognized and how PLT’s GreenSchools resources can help your school become greener and healthier!
3. Achieve Tree Campus K-12 Recognition. PLT partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to provide curriculum resources that support schools interested in achieving Tree Campus K-12 recognition. Learn more about how your school can get involved.
4. Organize a litter cleanup. Pick up trash around your school, neighborhood, park, or shopping center. Grab a trash bag, some gloves, and head outdoors to clean up litter. This is a great teaching opportunity about the importance of putting trash and recyclables into proper receptacles. Not only does trash pollute waterways, forests, and our communities, but many animals think those tiny pieces of plastic or foil are pieces of food.
5. Plant a school or community garden. Gardens are a wonderful way to attract amazing pollinators – bees, birds, bats, and butterflies! Plus, if you plant a vegetable garden, you can share the fruits (or veggies in this case) of your labor with a local food bank.
6. Start a recycling program at your school. If you don’t yet have one, now is the perfect time to start a recycling program on campus. Teach students how they can reduce their waste with the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle activity from the Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide.
7. Make greeting cards out of homemade paper. You can send them to your family and friends, or even deliver kind messages to residents at a senior living center. Check out the Make Your Own Paper activity from the Explore Your Environment guide.
8. Design and paint a nature-themed mural at your school. For those cold, wintery days when children are cooped up indoors, design a nature mural that all can enjoy. Get creative and channel your inner artist!
9. Coordinate a food drive to donate to a local food bank. Contact your local food bank to see what items they need most. Many need non-perishable food items like canned food or monetary donations.
10. Help remove invasive species around your school or community. If you live close to a national park, many of them have volunteer opportunities on MLK Day to remove invasive species. Learn more about invasive species and what you can do to help.
Other Ways to Get Involved
Be sure to look for volunteer opportunities through your local parks and recreation department, at state or national parks, and other community-based organizations.
The impact of the climate crisis on education and the role schools play is undeniable. To address this, leaders and advocates must unite to make tangible progress towards greener schools, healthier environments, and sustainability literate students and staff. That’s why I’m thrilled to represent Project Learning Tree (PLT) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) at the Green Schools Conference & Expo (GSCE) in Santa Fe, NM, from March 5–7, 2024!
The 14th annual GSCE, set in the LEED Gold city of Santa Fe, will offer three days of immersive education, networking, and inspiration.
As PLT and SFI’s Senior Director of Green Building and Supply Chain, I’m excited to attend GCSE to learn about the newest trends, case studies, and innovations in providing healthy, sustainable learning environments and sustainability education for schools and communities.
I will be joining school administrators, educators, architects, and others – all attending to learn how we can collaboratively create “equitable, efficient, and resilient” learning spaces. Collaboration is key, as it will take representatives from the education, community, and green building space to envision greener and more beneficial spaces for students.
Learn About Sustainability Education, Green Design, and Health in Schools
The GSCE is the only national event that brings together people who lead, operate, build, and teach in U.S. green schools.
Teachers, parents, students, school and district staff, educational leaders, building industry professionals, non-profit partners, and others passionate about making green, healthy schools a reality are invited to attend.
Three fun and engaging days of programming include a lineup of inspiring speakers, informative workshops and breakout education sessions, and the opportunity to network with colleagues from across the country.
Join me and learn about sustainability education for all ages of students, energy efficiency, social equity, developing green leaders, improving health in schools, and more.
What to Expect
The goals of GSCE 2024 conference are:
Encourage, celebrate, and facilitate attendees’ commitments to making sustainable choices onsite
Source 35% or more of the event’s food & beverage regionally (within 500 miles) and ensure all event materials are sustainably sourced
Set baseline goals for future events by reporting on 2024 actuals
Increase education around sustainable attendee travel, and support carpooling and shuttling efforts
Build a bridge between conference partners to increase sustainable operations in the City of Santa Fe
GSCE 2024 will focus on critical issues in education and green schools through five education tracks: sustainability planning, student climate action, health and wellness, school as a teaching tool, and green infrastructure.
The conference will kick off on March 4 with off-site tours of sustainable schools, followed by a robust education program starting on March 5. Participants can attend half-day workshops and summits, culminating in a speed-networking event with green resource providers.
March 6 offers a full day of interdisciplinary education sessions covering vital topics like new funding models, sustainability’s intersectionality with equity, student empowerment for climate action, and nature-based strategies for education and wellness. The day concludes with a motivating keynote presentation and the Best of Green Schools Awards ceremony. The event wraps up on March 7 with additional education sessions, expert panels, and a closing keynote presentation.
Want to attend?
Get ready to be part of an inspiring and impactful event that brings together passionate individuals dedicated to transforming education through sustainability – I can’t wait to meet and talk more about how sustainably managed forests can benefit communities and kids!
Register for the Green Schools Conference & Expo today! A variety of registration packages are available, with special rates for employees of PreK–12 schools and districts, as well as government and non-profit employees.
GSCE is presented by the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), in partnership with the Green Schools National Network (GSNN). Project Learning Tree (PLT) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) are proud to be Green Schools Conference & Expo (GSCE) 2024 National Partners.
As the holiday season is in full swing, people around the world partake in the time-honored tradition of searching for the perfect Christmas tree. Whether finding one at a tree farm or getting a permit to cut one down in a national forest, it’s a fun way to spend a crisp winter day. But did you know just what it takes to find one of the most famous Christmas trees each year?
The “People’s Tree,” a 63-foot-tall Norway spruce, arrived in Washington, DC, in late November to grace the Capitol West Lawn thanks to dozens of people who work in forestry and other green jobs.
Getting the 39-year-old, 8,000-pound tree to the Capitol involved a 1,000-mile expedition from West Virginia. There were also close to 60 regular-sized Christmas trees for other locations and offices on the Capitol and more than 14,000 handmade ornaments along for the ride.
Every year, a national forest provides a tree to light up the West Lawn of the US Capitol building for the holidays. West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest, in partnership with nonprofit partner, Choose Outdoors, transported the 2023 US Capitol Christmas Tree from West Virginia to Washington, DC, with support from sponsors, including the Society of American Foresters (SAF).
Green jobs key to delivering holiday magic
“This wonderful holiday tradition would not be possible without all the people who work in green jobs. We were so pleased to see SAF talk about working in forestry and other green jobs as part of their US Capitol Christmas Tree Forestry FAQs,” said Linda Carnell, Assistant State Forester, Education and Communication, West Virginia Division of Forestry.
The SAF FAQ described how green jobs offer a wide variety of career opportunities based on interest areas and skill sets. Green jobs include positions like foresters, park rangers, wildland firefighters, wildlife biologists, policymakers, public outreach professionals, recreation managers, loggers, and lumber mill workers. Jobs can be seasonal or full-time in both indoor and outdoor settings.
“We were also really pleased to see SAF reference Project Learning Tree’s Exploring Forest Careers. The Green Jobs: Exploring Forest Careers guide includes four hands-on, instructional activities to help youth research forestry jobs and practice managing and monitoring forest resources,” said Carnell, who also serves as the West Virginia Project Learning Tree (PLT) State Coordinator.
The growth of “green jobs”—defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as jobs that produce goods or services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources, or jobs that use more environmentally friendly processes or fewer natural resources—have outpaced jobs in other employment categories by almost 250% over the last decade.
Coming together across West Virginia to celebrate the People’s Tree
The USDA Forest Service took the People’s Tree on a two-week tour across West Virginia, so that residents of the state could give the tree a proper send-off and also learn about green jobs.
“We were so excited to work with so many different entities to make this happen—towns, cities, communities, schools, 4H clubs. Connecting with so many people, especially kids, about green careers was fantastic,” said Carnell. “Kids respond well when they understand what green jobs are all about. We tell them ‘Yes, you can be in hi-tech and use a satellite and a computer to do your job while you work in the woods’.”
PLT West Virginia created a special U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree activity collection to do with youth around the state. It featured several activities found in the Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide, including Tree Cookies, Every Tree for Itself, and Our Federal Forests.
Tools, info, and activities to learn about green jobs
Did you know PLT activities also include details about different green jobs? It’s our goal to introduce students to the green job possibilities out there, and we’d love your support in doing so!
Check out some of the green jobs resources that people learned about during the tree’s trip across West Virginia. Explore green jobs that support forests and learn more about career readiness supports through PLT. You can also take a one-time free trial of the PLT Green Jobs Quiz. PLT and SAF are also pleased to announce an online short course – Teaching Youth and Communities About Forests – to help you strengthen your outreach and education efforts to youth and adults. Register Now!
Massachusetts Senator John McCormack planted a 24-foot-tall Douglas fir on Capitol grounds in 1964. This was the first tree that started the ritual tree lighting on the West Lawn. Sadly, the tree died after three years from wind and root damage.
Today, Jim Kaufmann, Director of the Capitol Grounds for the Architect of the Capitol, chooses the People’s Tree. The USDA Forest Service assesses the environmental impact of harvesting the tree by investigating if the tree is close to any endangered species or water sources and if it provides shelter for wildlife.
In 1970, the Monongahela National Forest supplied the first People’s Tree. In 2024, the Capitol Christmas Tree will come from Alaska.
In December, many of us reflect upon the past year, but did you know it’s also the perfect time to start planning ahead?
Perhaps 2024 is the year you become a certified Project Learning Tree (PLT) educator. Maybe this is the year you attend your third PLT professional development event. Whatever you decide, make 2024 a year of continued learning and growth!
Across the U.S. PLT offers a variety of professional development opportunities, from in-person workshops and hybrid events to online courses. Our network of PLT State Coordinators and Facilitators creates an incredibly welcoming and inclusive environment for you to learn how to incorporate PLT lessons into your existing curriculum. Whether you are a PreK-12 teacher, nonformal educator, preservice teacher, caregiver, or higher education professor, there are learning opportunities for everyone.
You’ll laugh, you’ll learn, you’ll roll your sleeves up and get hands-on training, and connect with some of the most amazing people you’ve ever met! Plus, you’ll walk away with the tools and confidence you need to lead nature-based activities inside and outside the classroom.
Here’s what some past workshop attendees had to say:
“This had to be the very best workshop that I have ever been to! It should be a must for all teachers that teach science in their classroom. Absolutely outstanding! 5 ***** stars!” –Preschool Teacher, Michigan
“Fabulous workshop! I like how the activities can be modified and applied in multiple settings depending on age/skill level”. –Elementary School Teacher, Hawaii
Just think about the potential impacts you’ll have in your students’ lives by introducing them to the environment through PLT. One activity may spark a love of nature for students who’ve never experienced it before. It may be the perfect way to help bring a sense of calm to a student’s life. It might inspire high schoolers to pursue green careers, find solutions to mitigate climate change, or improve their communities. Inspire that change.
Upcoming Professional Development
Check your state’s PLT webpage for upcoming professional development events. You can also connect with your PLT State Coordinator to get more information about future workshops. Here are just a few events happening around the U.S. in early 2024.
North Carolina | January 27, 2024: Trees & Me! Project Learning Tree Early Childhood Workshop
South Carolina | February 16, 2024: PLT & Project WILD Workshop for Educators
Find Events Near You
Visit your state’s website for more information – many states offer special workshops tailored to your school or organization. If you’re unable to attend PD in person, we also offer self-paced online courses to help you make the most of PLT resources.
Imagine what introducing one child to nature through Project Learning Tree (PLT) can do.
Imagine a little girl learned how forests improve water quality through a PLT activity. It sparked her curiosity and ignited a passion for the environment. Now she’s a water quality engineer, improving access to clean drinking water. All because of one teacher doing one activity with this one little girl.
Now imagine the positive impacts 145 million students have made on our environment, thanks to the 765,000 educators who have been leading PLT activities in communities across North America for over 45 years.
This Giving Tuesday, consider making a tax-deductible donation to Project Learning Tree so we can advance our mission of educating PreK-12 students about vital topics like biodiversity, sustainability, and climate-smart forestry and nurture the next generation of forest and conservation professionals. Start building a greener tomorrow today.
When thinking about bats, you might be reminded of the saying “blind as a bat” or remember one of the many movie scenes where a bat is tangled in someone’s hair — or perhaps the fangs associated with blood-sucking vampires. Maybe they are depicted as rats with wings or frothing at the mouth, a trait associated with the deadly rabies virus. These tropes about bats help give them the universally creepy and spooky allure that makes them centuries-old inspiration for Halloween. But these associations are mostly myths based on half-truths.
In fact, we at SFI would like to clear up a few of these misconceptions and take a moment this Bat Week (annually timed to coincide with the week of Halloween) to share our appreciation for the ways forests and bats work together. Bats are not blind (they actually have rather good vision for nocturnal creatures), but they do rely on echolocation, which is essentially “sound radar,” to help them locate and capture prey. This unique navigational trait is also why bats don’t get tangled in your hair—no matter how long it is. As for the vampire connection, vampire bats do exist in Central and South America, feeding mostly on sleeping birds and mammals. They don’t turn into human-like creatures that fear the sun and a delicious piece of garlic bread! Like rodents, bats are mammals, but they belong to their own unique order called Chiroptera, which are not related to rats. As for rabies, bats can be hosts but are most likely not infected—and as with all wildlife, it is best to call a professional to handle a bat, especially if it is acting abnormally.
What is less known about bats is far more interesting:
Bats are pollinators; their feces have been used as fertilizer for hundreds of years, and they are significant factors in the control of insect and pest populations.
Bats are found almost everywhere in the world and are particularly abundant in forests.
Bats can often be detected at night zipping between trees and above the canopies of forests worldwide, especially in North America, where forests sustainably managed to the SFI standards provide significant bat habitat. In the Canadian boreal, it’s not unusual to find colonies of mother bats and their pups living together in aspen trees, sometimes in hundreds at a single location.
Bats do have a scary issue affecting their health and survival. Described as “the most precipitous wildlife decline in the past century in North America,” white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal infection deadly to bats, was first identified in a cave in New York in 2006 and has now spread across bats in much of eastern North America. The fuzzy white fungus often appears on the face and wings of hibernating bats, causing them to wake more frequently during hibernation, burning up important fat stores needed to survive the winter. WNS has resulted in the death of millions of bats and contributed to the listing of several species as “imperiled” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the Canadian Species at Risk Act.
Bats are an important component of forests and how they are managed. At SFI, biodiversity values and ensuring protection for threatened and endangered species — including bats — are an important focus of what we do to advance sustainability through forest-focused collaboration.
An educational sign created as part of the SFI Community Grant-funded Forest Bat Habitat Improvement Project
Collaborating for Our Flying Friends
SFI’s collaborations support bat conservation to help protect our flying friends. Through SFI’s Conservation Grants Program, SFI funded Nature Conservancy of Canada’s conservation grant project to help protect bats from WNS, in partnership with International Forest Products and British Columbia Timber Sales. The project identified significant bat hibernation sites in British Columbia and resulted in installing cave gates on the abandoned Queen Victoria Mine, which enable entry by bats while keeping people out. Reducing human access to bat roosting and hibernating sites limits disturbances and decreases the risk of human-caused spread of WNS. Though WNS has not yet been found in British Columbia, it has been found in neighboring Washington State – and it may only be a matter of time before it spreads northward.
SFI has also collaborated on research to look at how bats use forests following harvest and regrowth. Working with the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc., the Forest Products Association of Canada, and the University of Regina, we joined a conservation project examining the use of SFI-certified forest areas harvested 25 years ago to see the effect on bat populations. Researchers found that bats returned to previous levels of activity as the forest’s trees, bugs, and bushes also returned.
SFI also engages in community outreach and youth education to raise awareness about bat conservation. In 2021, SFI’s Community Grants Program funded the Minnesota SFI Implementation Committee’s Forest Bat Habitat Improvement Project, which collaborated with the Boy Scouts of America to build and erect over 100 bat roosting boxes from SFI-certified wood donated by Norbord Inc. (now West Fraser). In the summer, bats can be found roosting in trees, caves, buildings, and under bridges. Bat boxes provide an alternative “housing” option, particularly for mother bats to raise their young in the summer, which promotes bat population health for these declining species in Northern Minnesota, where they are particularly vulnerable to WNS.
PLT has compiled a selection of free Bat Week resources for anyone celebrating with children
To further introduce and connect youth to the world of bats, SFI is celebrating Bat Week, which annually occurs in the last week of October, from the 21st to Halloween, the 31st. Project Learning Tree, an award-winning educational initiative of SFI, compiled a great selection of resources to engage youth in learning about and celebrating bats through activities, arts, and crafts for a variety of ages. Through education, research, and engaging partnerships at various levels, SFI hopes to dispel some misconceptions about bats, raise awareness about challenges they face, and highlight the critical role bats play in helping sustain our forests and contributing to our everyday lives.
SFI’s Rachel Hamilton holds a bat
Rachel’s Bat Story
Bats have a reputation for being spooky and scary. Through my bat research experiences, while pursing my graduate degree, I found these furry friends to be fascinating. This graduate opportunity led me to study bats in Ontario, Jamaica, and Cuba – exploring caves, mines, forests, and barns. It was not the bats that I feared, but rather other uncomfortable encounters that occurred while in their environments.
One early morning in Ontario, my co-researcher and I were taking turns checking mist nets, soft “volleyball” like nets specialized to safely catch unsuspecting flying animals for migratory bats passing through the area. I was walking solo down the dark path, with just my headlamp illuminating the way when I spotted eyeshine from a somewhat large animal in the distance…was it a deer? Was it a bear? I will never know, and I wasn’t going to stay long enough to find out! I promptly returned to the safety of our field station to get support from my research partner (safety in numbers!) to finish our rounds.
A different evening in Jamaica, exhausted after a long night of catching bats in the forest, the research team finally laid down to get some rest at the research station when my roommate woke up with a scream. She said something just fluttered across her hand. I said maybe she screamed loud enough to scare it away. Then we heard more scuttling noises. Quickly turning on the lights, the biggest rat we ever saw was scampering across the ledge beside my roommate’s bed.
However, the most memorable experience I have had with bats was a trip to a hot cave in Cuba. As our research team made our way to a back chamber of the cave, we crossed paths with cockroaches and large centipedes. Cave crabs scurried across the ground and our headlamps illuminated spiders in their webs. At one point, a scorpion tried to hitch a ride on the back of my co-researcher’s pant leg, which I had to quickly brush off. After reaching the back cavern there was a rockface that reached almost to the ground. At the entrance to the rockface, Cuban boas were lying close by, ready and waiting to strike a bat that flew too close. We had to crawl on our bellies under the rockface to reach the inside of the chamber. We were instantly hit by a wave of heat and humidity. Much like a sauna, these enclosed, humid, pocket-like chambers can reach temperatures around 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).
The intensity of heat is due to the body heat of the high density of bats which creates a microclimate. Thus, bats can live in a protected, high-heat chamber that is unsuitable for most other species, especially predators or even visiting researchers who can barely stand the heat. I was thankful to go back to the cool cave with the other creepy-crawly wildlife. So, in my experiences, I didn’t find bats scary, but rather eyeshine in the night, rats in my room, and scorpions crawling on pants made for less-than-ideal situations!
Darren’s Bat Story
As a kid, the only thing that scared me was the dark. I didn’t really fear what might be in the dark – I felt I could handle the critters – it was just not knowing where they were or what they were doing that weirded me out. So naturally, I chose to pursue graduate studies in nocturnal ecology, giving all sorts of critters the chance to sneak up and scare the bejeepers out of me. I’ve been startled and caused to jump out of my skin by bears, moose, elk, wolves, coyotes, skunks, porcupines, most owl species in North America, and many, many bats.
When you are a wildlife biologist, it’s often assumed you can simply solve simple human-wildlife conflict issues quickly and effectively. Helping bats find their way back outside of a human’s home is a popular request friends ask me to help with. I have easily caught bats inside and let them go after a quick natural history lesson. Others have evaded me for hours, making me look like a stumbling fool and discrediting me in front of friends and family.
It’s been said that doing research is “…what I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing,” and that’s certainly been my experience with wildlife. Bats are particularly reliable for being anything but reliable as research subjects. When I was first trained to mist net bats, we caught 20-30 bats in one evening outside of a well-known little brown bat maternity colony. Little browns are cute and harmless critters, about as non-threatening as their name sounds. Weighing in at less than half an ounce, even angry a little brown bat could not bight through the skin on your finger on a good day. Ready to take on the bat world, the next night, I was mist netting over a nearby river. After handling a couple of little browns, a bat hit the net so hard I was sure I had caught a crow. Instead, I was faced with a fistful of a spitting and hissing bat, nearly 5-6 times the size of a little brown. Hoary bats have formidable teeth, and this one was quick to express his displeasure at being caught while out looking for his dinner. After extracting him from the net, he calmed down nicely. We processed and weighed him, and he was on his way. He might have calmed down, but it took me quite a while to do the same.
In the forest, several bat species roost in holes and crevices in trees, particularly in aspen trees that develop heart rot as they age. Identifying which crevices are used and why can be a challenge. Researchers usually try to catch females at night using mist nets and affix radio-telemetry tags to them, following them the next day to find communal roosts where 3 to 5 females might be hanging out for the day. Radio-tagging is tricky business, and the bat is very carefully handled to gently affix the tag so it won’t hurt her, inhibit her flight, and she won’t lose it. Bats naturally switch between roosts daily, so if researchers can capture and tag some of her friends, it can help find other roosts and better understand what makes a “good” day roost.
A colleague of mine in grad school came up with a brilliant way to efficiently capture the other female bats in a roost. Bats don’t generally take off from a sitting position as they are not usually on a flat surface like the ground. (Note: a bat on the ground is NOT acting naturally; call a professional to handle a bat on the ground). Bats normally fall from a height before opening their wings to fly, as from the roof of a cavern, a wall, or the opening of a tree crevice. My colleague took a box from a 24-case of beer (I never found out what he did with the previous contents) and stapled it to the tree just below the crevice in the tree. He then opened the bottom of the box and stapled a garbage bag to the bottom. It looked like a giant black sock hanging from the side of a tree. He then sat under the tree and waited for dusk.
Bats tend to emerge just as the sun sets, making the most of the pulse of insects at that time of night. It was no surprise to hear the “plop” in the bottom of the bag above his head at the witching hour. As he was about to celebrate the joy of an idea well-conceived, his joy turned to terror as the “plops” increased in both total and frequency. All told, there were more than 30 females in that one roost. He had neither the time nor the tags to process all the bats he caught that one night in his 24-trap, and he ended up releasing some and working all night to process the ones he kept.
I have never regretted working late at night in the dark. Now I’m very comfortable in the darkness, and I love the possibility of seeing bats against the night sky, hearing distant owl or wolf calls, and knowing the forests I love continue to hold their secrets I can explore – even if sometimes I might get a fright!
Rachel Hamilton is SFI Manager of Conservation Programs, supporting the SFI Conservation Program by aiding in conservation grants program tracking and contributing to conservation communications, research, and collaborative projects.
Darren Sleep is SFI Lead Scientist, responsible for the incorporation of up-to-date and scientifically rigorous technical content across all SFI’s pillars, ensuring that SFI’s work is grounded in thoughtful, science-based knowledge and communications, and that SFI standards and education programs reflect the latest in scientific understanding.
Rachel and Darren are members of the SFI Conservation Team, working across the SFI footprint to help address sustainability challenges and inform global conservation efforts. To learn more about SFI’s conservation work, please visit forests.org/conservation.
Over the past year, I have been participating in various professional development webinars offered by the
Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Project Learning Tree (PLT), and PLT Canada, including sessions on Making a Good First Impression, Resume Building 101, and a Workforce Panel. I was also part of the PLT Green Mentor cohort, which is a 6-month mentorship program offered to young professionals and students in the forest and conservation sector. I was paired with my mentor, Anne Hairston-Strang, the Deputy Director & Acting State Forester for the Maryland Forest Service.
Though every single event added an essential piece to my professional portfolio, the 2023 SFI Annual Conference represents my most impactful career pathways experience with SFI. Attending the conference as one of more than 40 youth delegates was already an honor and having the opportunity to engage with other professionals in forestry from all over the world really shot the experience over the top.
If I could share a key learning from the SFI conference it would be to “Remain Resilient.” That was a major topic during the week as we spoke a lot about reconciliation and relationship building with Indigenous Peoples. I had the opportunity to “remain resilient” myself at the conference, and it ended in a beautiful victory. During the first youth delegate event of the week, we shared our elevator pitch in front of the other youth and SFI staff. On my first try, I stumbled over my words and completely lost my train of thought. But I was encouraged to come back on stage and try again, and it went a lot smoother the second time and I knew I had left an impression. I’m grateful that SFI staff, specifically Jerri Taylor, the Director of Diversity in Career Pathways, pushed me to try again and ensured that I did. The other youth delegates were very supportive as well.
My favorite thing about the conference was indeed the networking, but the most memorable was being asked to speak on the Building a Resilient Workforce panel. It was a memorable experience for me because it allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and share my perspective to this large and diversified audience of more than 500 people. It was an absolute honor to share my point of view on how the workforce could better adjust to the new generation of professionals entering their careers.
I have attended conferences for different disciplines, but the SFI conference was the most fun that I have had at a conference. It opened my eyes to jobs I was not aware of in the field of forestry, like auditing, as well as various nonprofit positions. I shook hands and spoke with influential people like Paul Johnson, SFI’s Senior Director of Urban and Community Forestry, and Kathy Abusow, SFI’s President & CEO, and the connections I made were very meaningful. So meaningful, in fact, I have been offered job positions since attending the conference and meeting the CEOs of organizations that align with my long-term goals.
Overall, I would rate the conference a 10/10. The venue was amazing, the food was great, and we had plenty of it. The atmosphere was welcoming, the professionals were receptive, and I would say we all had a great time. I honestly loved every moment; I didn’t panic when our flights were all canceled but it made me wish we were a little closer to home. Not a problem for 2024, however, as next year’s conference will be right in my back yard in Atlanta, GA. I hope to see you there!