Conservation Education in the Forest Service

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Conservation Education in the Forest Service
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• Denver James,
• Assistant Director
• National Conservation Education Program

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A Brief History of Environmental Education

• Nature Study, (1890s)
• Conservation Education (1930s)
• Outdoor Education (1950s)
• Environmental Education (1970s)

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Conservation Education in the Forest Service 1920
-1980

• Penny Pines (1920s)
• Smokey Bear (1944)
• Information and Interpretation (1950s)
• Visitor Information Service Program (1962)
• Forest Service Environmental Ed. (1968)
• Woodsy Owl (1972)
• Investigating Your Environment (1971)

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Conservation Education in the Forest Service 1980
- Present

• Watchable Wildlife (mid-80s)
• NRCE (1991)
• Urban and Community Forestry (1990)
• CE Task Force and Strategy (1998)
• CE National Program Staff (1999)

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The CE Program Today

• Mission
• FS Strengths
• Target Audiences
• Delivery Methods
• Infrastructure

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Mission

• Connect people to the land by providing them with
  the tools they need to take informed actions
  related to sustaining natural and cultural
  resources.

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FS Strengths

• Information
• Lands and Facilities
• Distribution Network

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Delivery Methods

• Use Partners
• Train the Trainer
• Direct FS Delivery

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Target Audiences

• Youth
• Urban Communities
• Forest Visitors

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WO CE Focus

• Infrastructure, the Minimum Needed
• Staffing
• Funding
• Integrate CE into Delivery of all Programs

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WO CE Focus

• Improving Professionalism
• FS Learner Guidelines
• CE Competencies
• CE Roles
• Improving Communication Tools
• CE Clearinghouse
• CE Website
• CE TeamRoom
• Email lists and List Serve

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WO CE Focus

• Focus Efforts
• Competitive Field Funding Program
• FS Strengths
• Improve Accountability
• CE Reporting System
• Customer Service Survey

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WO CE Focus

• Build Partnerships
• To Complement Strengths
• State Foresters
• Other Agencies
• Educational Organizations
• Authorities for FS CE

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Current CE Issues

• Re-Commitment of FS Leadership
• New Strategic Plan
• Coordination (Interpretation, Communication,
  Resource-Specific CE)
  
• Value to Line Leadership

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The Value of Conservation Education, Long-Term

• The ultimate measure of success for conservation
  education is an informed and engaged citizenry,
  able to participate effectively in the actions
  and decisions needed to sustain the values of our
  natural and cultural resources for present and
  future generations. (1999 Conservation Education
  in the Forest Service)

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The Value of CE To the Forest Service TODAY

• Sustainability (our mission)
• Forest Service Credibility
• Community Relationships
• Resource Protection and Enhancement
• Opportunity to Learn (for us!)
• Public Involvement

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In Summary

• Conservation Education has been always been a
  part of the Forest Service mission
  
• Conservation Education should be integrated into
  program delivery with a minimum, but consistent
  infrastructure
  
• We focus on our strengths and leverage our
  efforts with partners we arent out there alone
  

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In Summary

• The long-term value of CE is critical to the
  future of the Forest Service
  
• AND, we need to realize the value of CE for our
  actions TODAY if we are to sustain CE for the
  long-term