Welcome to the new Project Learning Tree newsletter!

Michigan Department of Natural Resources sent this bulletin at 11/03/2022 05:09 PM EDT

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Two children, a boy and a girl, laugh while surrounded by fall leaves.

Hello Michigan PLT educators!

Welcome to the new Michigan Project Learning Tree newsletter. We want to stay in touch with you and share new opportunities, outdoor educator tips and tricks. In this edition, we also offer spotlights and shoutouts in the world of Michigan PLT.

Meet Andrea Stay, Michigan's new PLT coordinator

Smiling photo of Andrea Stay with a backpack on. She is a caucasian woman with brown hair with trees in the background.

Hello! As many of you know, Ada Takacs recently retired after a long successful career with the Department of Natural Resources. My name is Andrea Stay and I am the new Michigan Project Learning Tree  Coordinator! 

I am based out of Constitution Hall in Lansing and I look forward to working with and supporting you in your environmental education efforts.

I live in the Lansing area with my husband, 8-year-old son and our German Shepherd puppy. We love to camp and hike.

I became a PLT educator back in 2001, and over the years have added Project Wet, Wild and the Leopold Education Project to my toolbox.  My new role includes PLT, Adopt-A-Forest, DNR volunteer efforts and stakeholder engagement for the Forest Action Plan. Please feel free to reach out to me at StayA@Michigan.gov. 

I’d also like to take a moment to thank Kathy Fisher, Katie Spengler and the PLT advisory committee for everything they do to support the program! 

We need your input! Please take our survey

We want to hear from YOU about what Michigan's PLT program should offer. We'd like to hear about your level of involvement and what type of support you need. 

Please take a moment and fill out this quick survey by Dec. 15 for a chance to win a $50 Acorn Naturalist gift certificate. 

New and improved PLT publications

The covers of several different books designed to help kids learn about nature.

PLT offers lesson plans and activities for all ages that can be easily incorporated into existing curriculum or used in informal settings. Check out these new PLT curriculum offerings available for purchase:

Trees & Me: Activities for Exploring Nature with Young Children

Designed specifically for families and teachers of kids ages 1-6, our latest guide includes 12 activities and more than 250 learning experiences to connect young children to nature, with a focus on trees.

Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide

PLT’s new flagship curriculum includes 50 hands on, multidisciplinary activities to connect children to nature and increase young people’s awareness and knowledge about their environment.

Theme-based Activity Collections

PLT’s hands on activity collection offers fun and multidisciplinary activities that connect youth in grades K-2, 3-5 and 6-8 to nature and the outdoors.

How to introduce students to urban birdwatching

A red cardinal with a pointed head sits on a tree branch.

We love introducing kids to new ways to enjoy their immediate surroundings. For kids in urban areas, that can sometimes be challenging.

Urban birdwatching is an easy way to open their eyes to the natural environment around them and how incredible birds are at making homes wherever they land.

This PLT tip will show you how to get started with urban birdwatching at your school, daycare, summer camp or home, along with bird-themed activities that you can adapt for your classroom.

Wheels To Woods: School-to-forest bus grants

Children stand smiling outside a school bus on their way to a field trip in the forest.

Did you know funding is available to send students to a Michigan forest?

Whether you are a formal or informal educator, the Wheels to Woods program can assist in reimbursing your transportation costs. Wheels to Woods is a partnership among the DNR, Huron Pines AmeriCorps and the Michigan Tree Farm Committee that provides transportation funding to visit a nearby forest or forest products company.

Any pre-K-12 school in Michigan can apply. The only requirement is that students must learn something about forestry. Wheels to Woods reimburses trips up to $350 per bus, about $5 per student and up to $1,000 per school.

Interested in applying or donating, or unsure of which forest to visit? Check out WheelsToWoods.org to find out more or apply. Applications or questions can be submitted any time to Admin@WheelsToWoods.org.

Here's to getting kids outside to experience what the forest has to offer!

Thank you Katie, from Huron Pines and PLT

Katie Spengler works on a project in the woods, standing with a net in her hand.

Katie Spengler, current 2022 Huron Pines AmeriCorps member serving with the  DNR, has been hard at work creating new opportunities and tools to use for PLT educators.

Working in tandem with new state coordinator Andrea Stay, she hopes to help expand the Michigan PLT network and create more accessible resources. In addition to creating new PLT activity kits for state parks and providing resources for teachers to introduce more students to the outdoors, she has been managing the MI PLT educator database and looking for new ways to expand the network to new educators.

Note: Katie’s Huron Pines AmeriCorps service term ends in November. A new member will fill her position come January. Click here to learn more about the Huron Pines AmeriCorps program.

PLT workshops

  • This fall we completed two AMAZING in person workshops in partnership with the Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education and Grand Traverse Conservation District.
  • For our facilitators, now is a great time to start planning a workshop. 
  • As new workshops are planned, they will be posted on the PLT Website.
A woman works on a craft activity during a PLT nature workshop.