Educators
A variety of materials and programs are available for you to use in the classroom or outdoors, to engage kids in learning more about forest environments. Educational trunks, environmental education curriculum, DVD's on selected topics, Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl visits, field trip ideas, and opportunities for guest speakers are a few of the available resources through Flathead National Forest.
Resources for Parents & Teachers
Smokey and Woodsy are just waiting for an invitation to visit your pre-kindergarten through third grade classroom or youth group gathering and bring along a Forest Service friend to lead an interactive fire education or Leave No Trace program.
Reach out to one of our district offices to inquire about scheduling a visit!
Educational materials and ideas are available through the Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl web sites.
The Flathead National Forest has educational trunks that teachers, home school parents and youth group leaders can check out and use to bring the outdoors into the classroom. Other agencies and organizations around the Flathead Valley and Northwestern Montana also have educational trunk offerings.
There are six different trunks that teachers, youth group leaders and home school parents can check out and use from the Flathead National Forest: Loon Trunk, Amphibian and Reptile Trunk, Bat Box, FireWorks Trunk, Wolf Trunk and the Snow Safety Tool Kit. The trunk list provides a description of each trunk. Flathead National Forest trunks can be checked out for two weeks and are picked up and returned from the Forest Supervisor's Office in Kalispell.
The Family Forestry Expo is an annual, week long event held the first full week of May. The event offers hands-on exposure to the role forests play in our everyday lives and takes place through the dedicated involvement of over 20 diverse organizations such as local service clubs, forest industry, government natural resource agencies, conservation groups, professional societies, local businesses, many interested individuals and numerous local donations.
You can learn about archaeology, camping, fish, fire, hunter safety, plants, wildlife and more during a walk through the Trumbell Creek Educational Forest.
Each year over 1,000 local 5th graders participate in a day long Expo field trip. Students explore how the different parts of a forest are connected to make up a dynamic living system and how people and all parts of the environment are dependent on one another. Classes visit the Trumbell Creek Educational Forest hosted by Stoltze Land and Lumber Co., and tour a local lumber mill. During their visit at the expo site, classes participate in five stations that feature a different forest resource such as plants, fire, forestry, riparian, backcountry camping, wildlife, fish and archeology. All participating students receive a student workbook for pre and post field trip review. You can find the student workbook on the expo web site and find out how workbook activities correlate to Montana State Educational Standards.
Families take part in expo activities over the weekend. There are two grandstand shows that feature the Flathead Valley Community College Logging Sports Team, a U.S. Forest Service pack string and modern logging equipment demonstration; plus there are exhibits and educational stations along a half-mile walking trail. Families can also enjoy a free 'loggers lunch'.
Visit the Family Forestry Expo web page for information on event location and times.
Summit Nature Center
Check out the education and visitor information center located at the summit of Big Mountain Whitefish Mountain Resort! The center has a wide variety of interpretive displays and is accessible during the summer & winter seasons.