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5th Annual Georgia
Teacher Conservation Workshop 2009
By: Kristina Summers
"Am I hot or cold?"
"Is it a wet place, or a dry one?"
The activity is called "Where in the World is That?" and the teachers are really getting into it, trying to figure out what habitat picture has been attached to their back by asking questions of a partner. Using the information they have to group themselves by location in the world. The Project Learning Tree ice-breaker activity is just the first in a jam-packed, week-long learning experience.
This year's 5th annual Teacher Conservation Workshop: Exploring Forestry and Wildlife in Georgia, has drawn 30 educators representing 19 Georgia counties. The teacher workshop is held each year during the last week of June and is recommended for Georgia educators in grades 5-12. Participants lodge at the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Mansfield, Georgia.
Walter Lane, Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center Program Manager (Dept. of Natural Resources-DNR), describes the purpose as helping "teachers learn about the science of forestry and wildlife management and how they can apply conservation to education in the classroom." (Charlie Elliott, a 6,400-acre wildlife management area, public fishing area and wildlife education center, is an hour-and-a-half from 60 percent of the state’s population, making it easily accessible for most Georgia residents.)
Mary Terry, co-organizer of the workshop and Wildlife Biologist and Project WILD Coordinator (DNR), led the group on a hike to the granite outcrop area at the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center.
Co-organizer, Carla Rapp, Forestry Education Director and Project Learning Tree Coordinator for the Georgia Forestry Association, works to secure sponsors for each participant. Hosted by the Georgia Forestry Foundation, workshop partners include the, the Georgia Forestry Commission, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia. Participants pay only a $25 registration fee. (A complete list of sponsors follows below.)
For the next week the teachers climbed aboard a bus each day, traveling around the state to visit and see first-hand aspects of the forestry industry from tree farms to the pulp mill as well as wildlife management practices implemented on industry, public and private lands. An important part of the workshop is helping these teachers understand the process; where forestry products come from, how they get to the consumer and how wildlife and habitats are impacted. Each stop also includes activities out of the Project WILD, Project WET, or Project Learning Tree Curriculum. By participating, the teachers are learning ways to better connect their students with forest conservation, wildlife management and sustainability of our natural resources.
They started off the week visiting Plum Creek Timber Company lands to see trees in various stages of regeneration and an active harvesting operation. While visiting Big K farms owned by former Atlanta Braves baseball players, Ryan Klesko and John Smoltz, they participated in a live demonstration on prescribed fire. They also heard Howell Crutchfield, with the Georgia Forestry Commission, demonstrate wild turkey calls and then learned about invasive species management from James Johnson also with Georgia Forestry Commission, while enjoying some exciting wildlife viewing opportunities including kingfishers and wood ducks. They learned where diapers get their absorbent padding, each receiving their very own sample, while visiting Weyerhaeuser’s cellulose fibers mill in Oglethorpe. At one point they rode in a wagon around the 1,500 acre Gully Branch Tree Farm (owned by Earl and Wanda Barrs – 2008 Georgia Tree Farm of the Year), discussing various forestry and wildlife management techniques with Reggie Thackston, Wildlife Biologist with the Department of Natural Resources. They visited the Georgia Forestry Commission’s Flint River Seedling Nursery where they saw Russ Pohl demonstrate grafting and pollinating techniques. They also observed the operations of a saw mill up close where they learned that Jordan Forest Products turns millions of board feet, or unprocessed timber into lumber every year.
They also have some exciting memories to take back to their students and families. By the end of the week, the teachers have made new friends and gained a better understanding of the forestry and wildlife and how they fit in to conservation in Georgia. Most importantly, the teachers received an eye-opening experience that they will share with students for years to come. Equipped with the tools from the workshop, they will help to prepare the next generation of Georgians to live more sustainably in an increasingly conservation-minded world. Thanks to the hard-working staff and all the sponsoring partners, the teachers now possess the knowledge they need to spread the word about the importance of forestry and wildlife conservation.
A Special Thank-you
Hi Carla,
WOW! I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate all the hard work that you, your staff, and the people who were instrumental in putting together the Teacher Conservation Workshop did to make this a special event. It was truly the best workshop I have ever attended! We were treated like royalty!
I learned so much about the timber industry that I have really changed my attitude toward the harvesting of trees. The information I learned dramatically changed how I feel about logging and the process of harvesting and using timber products. I now know about carbon sequestration and I will try (on a more basic level) to teach my third-graders about the natural resources we have here in Georgia and how they can be harvested effectively, efficiently, and responsibly without harming our environment.
I enjoyed getting to meet other teachers from all grade levels from across the state and exchanging ideas with them. Even though many of them taught higher grades, we had time on the bus to discuss how we could simplify and modify lessons to teach lower grades.
The activities you arranged with Project Wet, Project Wild, and Project Learning Tree were fun to do and observe, and I marked my books with the flags from the flag/highlighter pen (super idea!). I can't wait to get started! The speakers you arranged were so talented. I really loved Pete Griffin and the birds of prey; he is such a dynamic speaker! Mary Terry is so knowledgeable about wildlife and the environment, and lots of fun! Amy and Gail had so much remarkable information. Robert Carswell was a great safety officer, and so kind to Christy when she had a migraine. You have a fabulous staff and I loved how each person just pitched in when we were having discussions. The foresters who represented the timber companies and pulpmill/sawmill industries were enlightening and their input was so important from an economic standpoint. It was terrific to have these resource people around because we were so curious about everything and there was always someone to answer our numerous questions!
Each tree farm owner was so kind to allow us to explore his or her property. Lynn Hooven was so animated and you just felt his passion for wildlife and forestry. I really liked the booklet he put together for us. The Kleskos were kind and generous, and the picnic was delicious!
I enjoyed the tour of the Plum Creek tree farms, it really answered a lot of questions I had about clearcutting and planting trees. One of my favorite places was the logging deck (I think that's what you called it). The machines were awesome, and I can't wait to tell about and show my third grade boys the feller-buncher, the skidder, and the other machines we saw there. I still can't get over how the feller-buncher just sawed and toted that huge tree off in a vertical position!
The tour of the Weyerhaeuser pulp mill was enthralling. I am impressed that they use the chemical by-products of the digesting process in other parts of the plant. It was also great that they used scrubbers in the stack to reduce air pollution. Bob is obviously well-informed and proud of the job they do in producing diaper fluff, and rightly so!
The Flint River Nursery was a marvelous stop, I was amazed to see how they graft trees, produce clones, and raise the trees that we take for granted!
The Jordan Sawmill was flat-out fascinating! I guess I have the heart of a child because I loved all that sawing and buzzing in the mill! Wasn't it great how they used computer software to project which boards can be sawed from the scan of the trunk -- amazing!
Of course, my favorite has to be Gully Branch, after all, it is right here in Bleckley County and I've been a guest there with my students in the past. Wanda and Earl Barrs are gracious hosts, and Wanda has a passion for education and tree-farming that is evident in her enthusiasm for Project Learning Tree! The tour was great, and it was fun to see everyone getting wet in the creek!
The visit to the GFA was a highlight of the trip and we had so much fun at the Fiesta! Again, excellent information, really useful pre-made teaching kits, and I enjoyed the social!
All in all Carla, it was a masterpiece of well-planned fun activities, delicious food (breakfast was wonderful every day), great speakers, and extremely helpful people. Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center is a beautiful and comfortable facility, and I appreciate your hard work in organizing this event! Everything was smoothly and efficiently run, but the best part was the kindness of the people like you!
Congratulations on a job well done!
Tanya Rogers, Third Grade Science Teacher
Bleckley County Elementary School, Cochran, GA
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