August 4, 2008: Emerald ash borer found in
Wisconsin
EAB has arrived. LEAF is sad to share that Emerald ash borer (EAB) was recently discovered in Ozaukee County, WI near the village of Newburg. A homeowner observed his ash trees were dying and contacted natural resource officials to report his concern. EAB is an invasive, destructive insect pest of ash trees.
A lot is at stake in Wisconsin. There are an estimated 737 million ash trees in
our forests and another
five million in our communities... The discovery of EAB
offers educators a bittersweet opportunity – teaching students about invasive
species and how they affect the ecological, economic, and social health of urban
and rural communities. Urban communities in Wisconsin are home to millions of
ash trees, as are larger outlying forests. This may be the time to take out your
LEAF Urban Forest lesson guide and incorporate our lessons into your curriculum. (more)
New RESOURCE for Family-Oriented Outdoor Education Opportunities:
LEAVE NO FAMILY INSIDE (LNFI)
(5.5MB pdf)compiled by Karen Dostal, Boston School Forest Director and Emily Hill, Leave No Family Inside Project Consultant
LNFI program themes include sustainability education and environmentally
based low-impact activities. Individual LNFI programs include Leave No Trace Family Camp;
Questing and Geocaching for Families; Cross-Country Skiing for Families; Family Snowshoe Adventure; and
Earth Day Celebration. Following each of the LNFI programs, families take with them
informational resources and additional equipment that will enable them to independently pursue time
outdoors as a family.
LEAF connects formal and non-formal educators in Wisconsin with quality forestry education mater
ials.
This is done through:
- Professional development for educators
- The Wisconsin K-12 Forestry Lesson Guide
- Distribution of materials from the existing forestry education community
- School forest services and consulting
The LEAF Program operates under a set of guiding principles:
- Wisconsin's forests can be managed sustainably for economic, ecologic, and social benefits.
- By becoming informed and active participants in decision making processes, citizens can sustain forests.
- To develop informed and active citizens, forestry education should be infused in Wisconsin's K-12 schools.
LEAF is a partnership program between:
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- Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education in the College of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-Division of Forestry