School Forest Awards
| 2008 Awardees | 2006 Awardees | 2004 Awardees |
| 2007 Awardees | 2005 Awardees |
Each year LEAF recognizes individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to school forest programs. Awardees are individuals and organizations who have provided leadership for local school forests and their programs.
In 2007, the Wisconsin School Forest Awards Program was combined with the WAEE (Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education) Awards Program. The Wisconsin School Forest Program enhances the use of outdoor classrooms to increase students' learning and environmental literacy. The program is part of the LEAF program and is a partnership between the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Division of Forestry and the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education.
Award Categories
There are 5 categories in which
awards are presented. Nominees in any category can be individuals or
organizations.
- Teachers (K-12 public or private school teachers, teacher organizations, etc.)
- Students (K-12 public or private school students, student organizations)
- School administrators (district administrators, principals, curriculum directors, etc.)
- Resource professionals (extension agents, educational or environmental organizations, college faculty, state agency staff, natural resource managers, etc.)
- Community members(citizens, community organizations, etc.)
Criteria
Awardees are selected based on the following criteria:
- Involvement in the advancement and improvement of education programs at local school forests through leadership or development of programs, projects, and/or initiatives
- Sustained commitment to the school forest program
2008 School Forest Champions
On October 31st, the LEAF Program recognized the following
individuals for their exceptional commitment to Wisconsin school
forests at the 2008 Wisconsin Association for Environmental
Education (WAEE) conference:
L to R: Gretchen Marshall, LEAF Forestry and
Outdoor Education Specialist (left) with Janet Moore, Community
Member awardee (second from left), and the Amery Outdoor Education
Committee, Teacher awardee.
Teacher: Amery Outdoor Education Committee
Nominator: Oralee Schock
“The Amery Outdoor Education Committee has been hard at work
establishing their school forest to enhance and expand environmental
education opportunities for their students. This committee has
organized weekend clean-up sessions, obtained funding through grants
and other various sources, and completed a school forest education
plan for the district. The completed education plan allowed for
district faculty to experience the school forest and the number of
school field trips doubled as a result. The Amery Outdoor Education
Committee has also gotten the students involved in the development
of the school forest by constructing a shelter, landscaping,
planting trees, raising funds, and creating a trail system.”
Community Member: Ms. Janet Moore
Nominator: Scott Brown
“Since 2006 Janet Moore has been a tireless leader and community and
parent volunteer in the McFarland School Forest. She has helped
develop a school forest management plan, completed a school forest
education plan, organized professional development opportunities for
teachers, worked to clear invasive species at the forest, supervised
community work days, repaired trails, and facilitated school and
community educational activities at the forest. Janet has mobilized
volunteers to restore the property for use as an educational
resource where students and community members could enjoy, serve,
and learn together about nature and where environmental education
could take place in a natural setting.”
School Administrator: Mr. Larry Mancl
Nominator: Anthony Marinack
“Mr.
Mancl developed the environmental education program for the
Tri-County Area School District. In 1992, Larry assumed the position
of Environmental Education Coordinator for the district. Throughout
his years there he trained high school students to be counselors or
teachers to other K-10th grade students while on their field trips
to the school forest, took his counselors to various conferences so
they could demonstrate the impact youth have in solving
environmental problems, and encouraged student research at the
school forest. Since the beginning of the program, over 100 students
have worked as environmental education counselors at the school
forest. Mr. Mancl also serves as a resource to help other school
districts establish innovative school forest programs. With any
school forest program, administrative support is vital to the
success of a program.
Resource Professional: Mr. Steve Grant
Nominator: Kristi Hawk
“As
the Wood County Forester, Steve has been a phenomenal resource
professional for the Port Edwards School District in their attempts
to build a school forest program. For over the past 10 years, Steve
has helped establish and administer their school forest management
plan. Steve has also been instrumental in helping the school
district of Nekoosa in managing their school forest. His knowledge
and expertise have been an invaluable resource to other personnel in
the district when it comes to their school forest. Steve has been
generous to volunteer in assisting student activities and is eager
to share his knowledge and connect with people in a way that many
professionals are unable to do.”
School Forest Champions 2007
The
2007 School Forest Awards were presented as part of
the WAEE Awards Program at the Midwest Environmental
Education Conference (MEEC) in Stevens Point.
LEAF's School Forest Program recognizes the following individuals and group for their exceptional commitment to Wisconsin's school forests:
2007 School Forest Award Winners:
From l to r: Pat Hoffman, Karen Dostal, Liz Roy and Tom
Quilty with Jeremy Solin (center)
Teacher: Pat Hoffman
Nominator: Karen Dostal
"Pat Hoffman has worked as a naturalist at the Boston School Forest
for 16 years. During that time, she has been a dedicated teacher to
thousands of students each year. Pat continues to appreciate the
newness of each child's experience at the school forest. Teachers
and staff bringing students to the forest greatly appreciate her
excitement for teaching and dedication to the school forest program.
She has also contributed much of her individual time and skills to
the development of the Boston School Forest program and facilities."
School Administrator: Karen Dostal
Nominator: Sue Anderson
"As the director of the Boston School Forest for the past five
years, Karen Dostal has brought a strong commitment to expanding and
improving the program. She has revised the K-6 environmental
education curricula to meet state standards. She has also worked to
develop a comprehensive forest management plan that will guide
stewardship of the land into the future. In addition, Karen has led
major efforts to include the local community in school forest
activities including hosting a new series of "Leave No Family
Inside" events."
Resource Professional: Tom Quilty
Nominator: Darrell Hines
"Tom Quilty is a retired Department of Natural Resources forester
who spent over 24 years in Juneau County. During this time he has
taught countless students about forestry at the school forest and in
the classroom. Tom helped prepare high school students for the state
FFA forestry contest, presented tree planting and fire prevention
programs to fifth-graders, and worked with individual students to
acquire trees for planting on private lands. He has worked with the
school board to ensure that income from the school forest be
dedicated to the agriculture education program."
Community Member: Liz Roy
Nominator: Dr. Bruce McMuray
"Liz Roy is a retired teacher from the Oakfield School District. She
has been a tireless supporter of the school forest program for over
20 years. She continues to be very involved with efforts to develop
the school forest as a an education resource. She has received
several grants, worked with numerous community groups, and trained
teachers to enhance utilization of the school forest. Liz was also a
catalyst in efforts to address the enrollment criteria for school
forests. Changes to the program have allowed smaller parcels of land
(often adjacent to schools) to be enrolled in the program."
School Forest Champions 2006
The 2006 School Forest Awards were presented at the WAEE conference in Manitowoc. LEAF's School Forest Program recognizes the following individuals and group for their exceptional commitment to Wisconsin's school forests:
Teacher: Cindy Edlund
Nominator: Dr. Richard Peterson
"Cindy
Edlund is a high school teacher in the Crandon School District. She
has worked tirelessly in the acquisition and development of the
district's new school forest. Since the donation of the Hovind
Family School Forest, she has facilitated the school forest
committee and coordinated a dedication event in which community
members, high school students, and all K-8 students participated.
Cindy also provided a district-wide in-service about the curricular
opportunities provided by the school forest. She is currently
designing and implementing a challenge and orienteering course at
the school forest. Additionally, she earned a master's degree in
environmental education, serves as an adjunct faculty for the KEEP
program, and facilitates WET, WILD, PLT, and Aquatic WILD
workshops. Her leadership has provided for the continued, effective
utilization of the school forest."
School Administrator: Don Aanonsen
Nominator: Deb Gerard
"Don
Aanonsen is the principal of the Tigerton Elementary, Middle, and
High Schools. He has been the "visionary, project manager, and
cheerleader for development of the Tigerton School Forest. He
encourages teachers to provide full-day experiences for students at
the school forest and often participates in their activities.
During the past year, he has orchestrated the development of a new
school forest including constructing an outdoor classroom. Don has
facilitated in-service programs for district staff focusing on
forestry and outdoor education opportunities. His involvement and
encouragement have been instrumental in teacher interest and
utilization of the school forest. For Don, the school forest is
about "creating a sense of place in the hearts of the community for
years to come."
Resource Professional: Upper Chippewa Area, WDNR-Division of
Forestry
Nominator: Gary Vander Wyst
"The
Upper Chippewa Area DNR-Division of Forestry includes foresters and
forestry technicians in Taylor, Price, Rusk, and Sawyer Counties.
These foresters and technicians have been instrumental in efforts to
kindle a renewed and continuous interest in school forests in their
counties. Collectively, they have been involved in developing and
implementing forest management plans within 14 school districts. In
addition, they have provided professional development and
educational events for teachers, students, school administrators,
and the public. Their exceptional efforts reflect the role that
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Division of Forestry
(and its predecessor the Wisconsin Conservation Department) has
played in the school forest program since its inception in 1927."
Community Member: Wayne Jenson
Nominators: Linda Luger, Suzanne Deans, and Pamela Rossmiller-Peters
"Wayne
Jenson has been involved with the Burlington School Forest for 46
years as a teacher and now as a community member. As a teacher, he
integrated school forest experiences into the biology curriculum and
initiated a forestry class. Since retiring 8 years ago, he has
continued his advocacy for utilizing the school forest. He assisted
with professional development for 125 K-8 teachers at the school
forest, served as project manager for the construction of a restroom
and field station, and mentored elementary teachers in their use of
the forest. In addition, he has overseen the planting of over
20,000 trees by Burlington area youth. His thousands of hours of
volunteer time have helped transform the school forest into an
effective environmental education center."
School Forest Champions 2005
The 2005 School Forest Awards were presented at the School Forest Summit on December 1, 2005. The strength of the school forest program would not have been possible without contributions from these individuals and organizations as well as others that play important roles at the local level.
Back row: Mark Stephens
(accepting the award for Rollie Alger), Chris Langenfeld,
Dr. Dennis Yockers, Manny Oradei, Tracy Swedlund, David Scholz,
Darrell Hines, Jeremy Solin, Gary Vander Wyst
Front row: Members of the Montello FFA:
Brendan Wegner, Jessica Smith, Sarah Mateske, Liz Dahlke
Rollie Alger recently retired from the Rhinelander School District where he worked for seven years as the assistant superintendent of curriculum & instruction. Upon arriving in Rhinelander, he recognized the potential of the Cedric A Vig Outdoor Classroom (known as CAVOC) and set about to improve and expand it by forming a school forest committee with diverse representation to oversee its development. Rollie initiated many efforts that greatly enhanced CAVOC including curriculum development, professional development, and designation of income into a school forest account. He was tirelessly involved in all aspects of CAVOC operations.
Darrell Hines is the agriculture education instructor with the Mauston School District, where he has taught for over 20 years. The students in his forestry classes have worked extensively at the school forest. During this time, he has initiated five major silviculture projects at the school forest including planting more than 14,000 trees. He has also worked with closely with resource professionals to provide chainsaw training, career information, and forest management methods to over 800 students.
Chris Langenfeld is the coordinator of the Coloma School Forest. He has implemented a number of activities that have served to rejuvenate the Coloma School Forest and to connect it to the other school forests in the Westfield School District. He has delivered programs for all K-6 students and has established a school forest club in which 40 students and their parents participate. Chris also coordinates the annual community school forest picnic. His work has greatly enhanced the educational opportunities provided by the school forest. It has also helped to make stronger connections between the community and the district.
The Montello FFA has been involved with the management and maintenance of the district's school forests since 1952. Students have been involved in all facets of the school forest program from forest management to education. The FFA has planted and pruned thousands of pine trees through the years. They have established and maintained a 36-station interpretive nature trail on one of the school forests. The students also have worked closely with foresters to develop long-term management plans and timber sale contracts.
Many Oradei is a DNR forester in Oneida County. He has been instrumental in the development of the Cedric A Vig Outdoor Classroom as well as forest management for all of the Rhinelander School Forests. He has recently been involved in ensuring the district recognizes the long-term value of their school forests and doesn't over-emphasize the potential for short-term economic gain. Manny is a member of the district's school forest committee and works closely with teachers, administrators, and community members to ensure that the forests are appropriately managed and that students have opportunities to learn about sustainable natural resource management.
David Scholz is a kindergarten teacher with the Phillips School District, where he has taught for nine years. In addition to the outdoor teaching he has done with his own class, Dave is leading the efforts to increase utilizations of the Phillips School Forests. As chair of the school forest committee, he has helped to organize professional development and curriculum planning opportunities for all the teachers in the district. He has also been instrumental in gaining support of and involving resource people from the community, the DNR, and UW-Extension.
Tracy Swedlund is a science teacher in the Medford School District where he has taught for eight years. He is an activist for the district's school forest, which was in danger of being sold in 2001. Since then, Tracy has worked to revitalize the school forest through strategic planning, curriculum development, and professional development for teachers. He has initiated and been involved with several efforts that have led to the school forest now being used by multiple grade levels throughout the year.
Gary Vander Wyst is the DNR assistant area forester for the northern region. Hes based out of the Park Falls service center. He has worked extensively with the Butternut School District to revitalize their school forest program. Gary is a strong advocate for forestry education and has talked with the school board, administrators, and teachers in the district about opportunities that the school forest provides. He has developed lesson plans and created events for students to learn about forest management, timber sales, forest products, and forestry careers. His efforts have inspired the Butternut School District to embrace their school forest as an important educational opportunity.
Dr. Dennis Yockers is an environmental education specialist with the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education at UW-Stevens Point. In this and his previous positions with the DNR and DPI, he has worked directly and indirectly with school forests for over 20 years. He has been involved with numerous workshops, meetings, and resource development projects to facilitate the development of EE curriculum for use at school forests. He continues to play an active role in assisting school forests through presentations, consulting, and serving on the statewide school forest advisory committee.
School Forest Champions 2004
Wisconsin's school forest program was created more than 75 years ago to allow schools to own property for forestry programs. The primary focus was to engage students in replanting our forests. Since those early days, the program has grown and evolved considerably due to the efforts of many individuals and organizations.
In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the school forest program and 100 years of forestry in Wisconsin, the LEAF Program recognized "School Forest Champions" who have played a critical role in the development and growth of the statewide school forest program.
The 2004 School Forest Champions
Pictured L to R:
Bill Sylvester, Jeremy Solin (SF Program Coordinator), Ted Peterson,
Eden Koljord (WFREA), Genny Fannucchi, Al Curtis, Gail Gilson-Pierce
(Trees For Tomorrow), Hugh Curtis
Elbridge (Al) Curtis
Al Curtis directed the Merrill School Forest for 33 years.
Hugh Curtis
Hugh Curtis directed the Wausau School Forest for nearly 35 years.
The Merrill and Wausau School Forests were among the first school forests in the state to have highly developed education programs and facilities. The programs and facilities the Curtis' developed have been looked at as models, not only in Wisconsin, but nationally. Hugh and Al are held in high regard for their pioneering efforts in establishing outdoor environmental education. In addition to their school forest efforts, they served on many statewide, regional, and local committees to advance conservation and environmental education. Their efforts have touched the lives of tens of thousands, and continue to produce benefits for the environment today.
Genevieve (Genny) Fannucchi
Genny Fannucchi is the Forest Resource Education and Awareness Specialist
for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. During the last ten
years she has coordinated the development of a forestry education program
for Wisconsin. Mrs. Fannucchi has directed and tirelessly advocated for
various educational initiatives such as: funding for the LEAF Program;
release of forestry account dollars to support forestry education and the
school forest grant programs; and funding to support a statewide school
forest education specialist. She also coordinated a survey of school
forest coordinators that has provided important information about the
status of the state's school forests. Her efforts will have a long lasting
impact on forestry education and the statewide school forest program.
Dr. Ted Peterson
Ted Peterson was an UW-Extension forester for more 37 years and worked
for the Wisconsin Conservation Department prior to joining
Extension. Youth development was an important part of his Extension
responsibilities during the 1950s through 1970s. Dr. Peterson provided
educational programming leadership in forestry and conservation projects
for 4-H, VoAg, and school forests. During that time, he provided numerous
workshops across the state for teachers and resource professionals on
school forest education and management. He also published several articles
for statewide distribution on the opportunities provided by school
forests. In addition to school forests and youth education, much of Dr.
Petersons career focused on forest products marketing and
utilization. Youth development through natural resource education
continues to be of primary importance to Ted.
William (Bill) Sylvester
Mr. Sylvesters early forestry education efforts included showing
16-millimeter movies on a battery-operated projector. As chief forester
for Trees For Tomorrow, he developed some of the first forest management
plans for school forests. While an associate professor at UW-Stevens Point
he dedicated time to coordinating the statewide school forest program
during which he conducted surveys to determine the management and
education efforts on school forests. His 70-year career also included
forest fire protection and prevention, pioneering forest management
practices on private and publicly owned forest land, providing forestry
workshops for teachers of agriculture, loggers, and 12 years of teaching
forestry in the College of Natural Resources at UW- Stevens Point.
Trees For Tomorrow
Trees For Tomorrow is a non-profit natural resource specialty school
that was founded in 1944 to reforest northern Wisconsin and educate
landowners and citizens about the need for proper forest management. Since
that time, Trees has worked with schools to help them effectively utilize
their school forests. They played an important role in reforesting many
school forests and were involved with developing the first forest
management plans for several school forests. Trees has held numerous
professional development workshops for teachers and administrators on
school forest education and funding opportunities. Trees for Tomorrow's
education programs have impacted thousands of teachers and students and
continue to inspire school forest educators across the state.
Wisconsin Forest Resources Education Alliance (WFREA)
WFREA is a private, non-profit statewide forestry education program. They
have taken a leadership role on many projects to assist the school forest
program. They worked with several partners to develop the "How to Grow a
School Forest" handbook to aid Wisconsin teachers in adapting their school
forests into working outdoor classrooms. WFREA completed the production of
a five-minute Wisconsin's school forest vignette, which was broadcast to
18 million viewers on Wisconsin Public Television and Milwaukee Public
Television. WFREA continues to be an important partner in the statewide
school forest program by providing professional development workshops,
presentations, and materials for educators and resource professionals.