 The
Forest Education Foundation Incorporated, (FEF), was formed in 1989
as a joint initiative between the forest industries and Forestry
Tasmania. The prime objective of the FEF is:
"To encourage informed decisions about forest use within the
community by promoting a sound understanding of forests and forestry
processes and of the social, economic and environmental values of
forests."
Since its inception in 1989 the Forest Education Foundation has developed
a number of venues and program options designed for schools and teachers.
The Arm River Outdoor
Education Centre, in the North West of the state, was the first
site to be developed. This residential centre allows in depth studies
of forest ecology, forest management, land use issues and human interaction
with forest environments over time.
In response to significant teacher demand for forest experiences for their students a number
of field sites, that teachers
can access without a guide, exist around the State. Materials have
been developed for each of these sites. These materials provide
interpretive information on the ecology , history and management
practices associated with each site, appropriate maps and access
details. Materials for these sites are provided free of charge to
teachers.
With a growing awareness, within schools, of the programs and opportunities
offered by the Forest Education Foundation it was becoming more
and more difficult for the Education Officers to meet the requests
from schools for information and visits. In response to this the
Forest Education Foundation has developed Project
Forest.
This is a package for Primary and Secondary teachers, (and of relevance
to some TCE areas), focussing on Tasmania’s forests, their
ecology, their management and the many different and changing values
associated with our interactions with these environments. The package
links learning opportunities within the curriculum through the SOSE,
Science and Technology learning areas. The package has five components:
- a curriculum planning document
- supporting teaching resources
- professional development and ongoing support
- Student activity booklet
- PowerPoint presentations covering some of the Key Idea booklets and information relating to some current issues
Project Forest is a Tasmanian based and focussed resource looking
at forest ecology, forest management and forest issues. The flexibility
of the package structure and content provides schools and teachers
with a framework for developing integrated learning programs, whole
school planning models or classroom teaching units.
|
