Project Learning Tree’s ‘Viewpoints on a Line’ activity provides a visual representation of different perspectives related to a specific issue. A facilitator reads a statement like, ‘It’s important for people to preserve wilderness areas’ or ‘People should be able to use their land in whatever way they see fit.’ Then, participants walk to a designated place on a line representing their response to the statement, ranging from strong agreement to strong disagreement.
At an in-person April workshop at Capitol Forest for teachers from Grays Harbor and Thurston County school districts, the activity served as a starting point for a discussion on forest management. “Some of the teachers are very forestry friendly and others think that forestry is all clear cuts and that’s bad,” explains PEI’s South Sound FieldSTEM Coordinator Lauren Troyer. “Throughout the day, they expanded their understanding of sustainably managed forests and the complexities involved in managing Capitol Forest.”
Clare Sobetski, Youth Education and Outreach Manager for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR), organized the training. “Clare is like a super-partner,” says Troyer. “She did a great job of looping in all these other forestry professionals to share how DNR manages the trust lands of Capitol Forest.” DNR covered the cost for PLT Explore Your Environment guides and fees for the substitute teachers hired to cover participants’ time at their respective schools.
The day began at Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve, where teachers broke into groups to learn about two approaches to wildfire management. One group heard from DNR Fire Module Superintendent Cole Phelan about prescribed fire and prairie management; the other learned about historic and modern uses of fire as a management tool and cultural history of the site from Dr. Mary DuPuis, director of education and development for the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation. “She was deeply knowledgeable about Chehalis tribal history and connections to the prairie,” Troyer notes.
“[Having] three locations to explore natural resource management from different perspectives was invaluable.”
— Workshop Participant
Throughout the day, the group visited DNR-managed sites showcasing different aspects of forest management. Lunch was at Middle Waddell Campground, where DNR staff shared factors involved in managing lands for public recreation. In the afternoon, they caravaned to E-Line, home to DNR’s Experimental Forest. “[Having] three locations to explore natural resource management from different perspectives was invaluable,” one attendee reported in a post-workshop evaluation. “I left feeling like I can be a better teacher about these topics,” said another.
The day included something for everyone, regardless of their level of experience with forestry education. “We had a participant who teaches forest management and restoration ecology to high school students, and even he was learning new things,” says Troyer. “We marched around an area that had been harvested and measured the fuel load that’s on the forest floor and how much of a risk it poses for wildfire. The teachers got to measure trees and experience what it’s like to be a forester.”
As a bonus, the workshop occurred on April 22nd: Earth Day. “It was a gorgeous, bluebird day,” says Troyer. “It was heavenly to be in the forest all day. It felt like we were camping together because we were also at the campground, sharing food. It was really special to be there with all those teachers and a wonderful way to spend Earth Day.”