The Forest Service Conservation Education program strives to build upon awareness, knowledge, values and attitudes of adults and youth, to foster understanding, appreciation, and appropriate behaviors concerning natural and cultural resources. The Forest Service is a leader in providing scientific knowledge and outstanding opportunities for place-based learning.

• Every Kid Outdoors

  

  Fourth Grade students have unlimited and free access to fee sites on Federally-managed lands for the year! As a fourth-grade educator or parent of a fourth grader, you can download an activity and print paper passes for each of your students! For fourth grade educators you can download an activity and print paper passes for each of your students at Every Kid Outdoors-Educators.

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• Discover The Forest

  

  Discover the Forest wants you to know that it can be easy to give the outdoors to kids, for students K-12 education. They have put together a list of really wonderful activities that have all the information you need to get started--including what to do, what to bring, and what activities are near you!

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• Natural Inquirer

  

  The Natural Inquirer program produces a variety of science education materials for PreK through grade 12. Natural Inquirer products are produced by the USDA Forest Service, FIND Outdoors, and other cooperators and partners. A variety of information to choose from like videos, coloring books, games & activities plus much more!

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• FS Nature Live

  

  The FS Nature Live is combined with the Prince William Network, the USDA Forest Service and partners are bringing nature learning to schools across the United States and internationally through our series of webcasts, webinars, and on-line education resources. For over 10 years our distance learning adventures have focused on exciting topics such as bats, wetlands, climate change and much more.

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• The Nature Conservancy

  

  Guided by science and equity, we find paths to solve climate change and biodiversity loss. Founded in the U.S. through grassroots action in 1951, Natural climate solutions are conservation, restoration and improved land management actions that increase carbon storage or avoid greenhouse gas emissions in landscapes and wetlands across the globe.

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• Fireworks Program

  

  FireWorks is an educational program that focuses on fire ecology and the physics of fire designed for students in grades 1-12. FireWorks provides students with interactive, hands-on materials to study wildland fire.
  It is highly interdisciplinary program which includes teacher workshops, fire resource trunks, and a downloadable curriculum.

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Educational Activities and Curricula

Project Learning Tree is an environmental education program for indoor and outdoor classrooms from preschool through grade 12.

Project WILD's provides wildlife-based conservation and environmental education that fosters responsible actions toward wildlife and related natural resources.

Project WET educates people about water resources and management. It provides water resource materials, teacher training, and community water events.

BEETLES Science and Teaching for Field Instructors - Resources for student-centered, nature-centered science programs.

A special day set aside for tree planting, Arbor Day was first observed in Nebraska in 1872 with the planting of more than a million trees. It expanded to the rest of the country in 1882 and since then communities around the U.S. have celebrated trees on the last Friday in April.

If your community has a special Arbor Day celebration, it may be a Tree City USA. In cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters, the Arbor Day Foundation provides the framework necessary for communities to manage and expand their public trees through the Tree City USA program.

Arbor Day Fun Activities for Kids ~

Help Woodsy find the Forest (maze)

Match the tree to its correct shadow

Coloring page - Woodsy planting a tree

Coloring page - Arbor Day

Tree City USA is a popular program in the Intermountain Region with 87 communities achieving this status in Utah, 11 communities in Nevada, 68 communities in Idaho, and 41 communities in Wyoming. Find out more about Arbor Day and how you can celebrate in your community from the Arbor Day Foundation.

Programs

Junior Forest Ranger & Junior Snow Ranger Program - Junior Forest Ranger programs usually are available at many forest recreational sites during the summer. Junior Snow Ranger programs take place in the winter at downhill ski areas or on forest trails. Both of these programs offer hands-on activities that encourage stewardship of natural resources.

Woodsy Owl has inspired kids to care for the natural world. Woodsy's familiar slogan was first "Give a hoot, don't pollute" but now Woodsy would like youth to "Lend a Hand, Care for the Land".

Smokey Bear has essential wildfire prevention information, wildfire science and the history of Smokey Bear.

ClimateChangeLIVE distance learning brings climate learning to you through a series of webcasts, webinars, and online climate education resources!

Tree City USA program provides communities with a four-step framework to maintain and grow their tree cover. It also gives them an avenue to celebrate their work, showing residents, visitors, and the entire country that they’re committed to the mission of environmental change.

BatsLIVE is a Distance Learning Adventure brings bat conservation to life through webcasts, webinars, and online education resources.

 

Citizen Science

Citizen science partners scientists with citizens to study science and conservation. Data collected by citizens, school children to senior citizens, is used in real science research projects. Data collection tasks are suitable for groups, individuals, or families.

Budburst & - Project BudBurst is a national campaign enlisting people to collect climate change data based on the timing of leafing and flowering of trees and flowers.

iNaturalist - Practice your observational skills by recording different plants and animals in habitats around your home and across the world. See what others nearby have shared. Connect with experts to help identify your observations.

USA National Phenology Network - Engaging citizens to monitor the impacts of climate change on plants and animals in the U.S. and harnessing the power of people to collect and share information.