Extension offers environmental education opportunity for teachers

Virginia Cooperative Extension, in collaboration with the Southwest Virginia Chapter of the Society of American Foresters and other members of the forest industry, is offering an environmental education opportunity for teachers.

The program -- Trees to Products – is designed to correlate with the Virginia Standards of Learning for grades four and six, as well as life science and biology, and carries 24 hours of professional development credits for participants as well as Project Learning Tree certification.

“We are pleased to be offering this program for teachers again this year,” said Bill Worrell, Extension agent for forestry and natural resources in Southwest Virginia. “Our goal is to help teachers understand the sustainable and renewable resource of trees and [understand] how trees are converted into a variety of everyday products. The teachers who participated last year were excited about putting their new knowledge to work in their classrooms.”

Teachers will participate in an in-the-field tour of sustainable forest management techniques by visiting key forestry industry sites. They will also learn about how forests provide wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and the importance of forests in view-shed and water-quality efforts.

The four-day program runs from June 23 through June 26. Lodging will be provided at no cost to the participants at the Holiday Inn, Norton, Va. Transportation and all meals are included in the registration fee of $25.

The program is coordinated by representatives of The Forestland Group LLC; Mountain Forest Products LLC; and Virginia Cooperative Extension.

For more information or to register, contact Bill Worrell at (276) 889-8056, or contact Jon Rockett at (276) 328-0162.