Educators Implement 2024 Forests of Maine Teachers' Tour Learning Outside their Classrooms

The 2024 Forests of Maine Teachers' Tours invited educators from Maine to explore working forests, recreation areas, mills, conservation lands, and Tree Farms. Participants engaged in hands-on professional development, gaining insights into the different aspects of the most dominant ecosystem in Maine by exploring the forest industry, forest ecology, green job opportunities for their students, and accessible models for outdoor education at all grade levels. This program, organized by Maine TREE, fosters connections between two critical workforces in Maine: the professionals who manage the lands we rely on and the educators who foster and inspire the next generation of Mainers.

This year, the tours traversed the Fort Kent and Poland Spring areas. While each tour focused on a different region of the state, both tours offered a foundational understanding of the complexity of Maine's forests and how we interact with and rely on forests as a state. Over 40 natural resource professionals guided teachers as they visited various managed woodlands, toured a mill, and collectively brainstormed ways to begin integrating essential takeaways into their existing curricula back at their schools. We have maintained contact with participants, some of whom have shared how they have already applied what they learned during the tour outside their classrooms.

Kelly Vinciere from Carrabec High School, a returning participant on this year's Poland Spring tour, mentioned that one of her biggest challenges in applying what she learned on the Teachers' Tours was deciding where to start. She explained that there were numerous valuable topics and lessons and emphasized the importance of ensuring that all students feel successful.

“On the [Poland Spring] tour, I was reminded of how important it is to get kids outside. We don't want kids to be "scared" of nature. We want them to observe nature, trees, weather, and their surroundings. The tour sparked a fire inside me to make sure that students can access an area where they can go to work, learn, play, and explore. The kids now have a place where they can ‘work’ outside. My class is enjoying the use of this area!” -Kerry McKenney, Songo Locks School.

Second graders at Islesboro Central School have been enthusiastically participating in the Adopt a Tree unit from the Project Learning Tree curriculum. Their teacher, Renee Miller, shared that each student has adopted a tree to observe throughout the seasons this school year. She has successfully integrated Math, Social Studies, and Science into their tree adoption experience.

Several educators are eager to organize a Project Learning Tree workshop at their school. Others have contacted their District Foresters, which is an essential step in establishing a Forest Ecology Research Network (FERN) plot on their campuses. Additionally, some educators have expressed a desire to invite various natural resource professionals to speak to middle and high school students about the diverse career opportunities in Maine’s forests. Each year, Maine TREE and the natural resource professionals who support our efforts offer seeds of inspiration to educators who then bring what they’ve learned back to their students; hearing success stories from past participants lets us know that the impact of the Forests of Maine Teachers’ Tours is exponential and students throughout Maine are already reaping the benefits.