Forestry Education

Forestry Education Centers The Delaware Forest Services operates and manages education centers at Redden State Forest and Blackbird State Forest. These facilities house a variety of interactive displays about Delaware's forests and their management, and provide a comfortable work area for students and teachers to participate in educational activities. Each facility features a classroom for indoor meetings and activities as well as outdoor educational trails for a more dynamic learning experience. The education facilities are open by appointment only on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Email: Ashley Ward

Arbor Day Activities The Delaware Forest Service sponsors an annual Arbor Day Poster Contest for Delaware school children in grades K-4. In addition, we administer a national poster contest sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation for 5th graders. Poster contest information packets are mailed every December/January, with awards presented in April during our annual Arbor Day Ceremony. The Delaware Forest Service also distributes free pine seedlings annually to Delaware elementary school children on a first-come, first-served basis. Email: Ashley Ward

2007 National Arbor Day Poster Contest Winner Nick Stasio, Christ the Teacher, 5th Grade

Smokey Bear Visits The Delaware Forest Service offers Smokey Bear programs each October to all of Delaware's first-grade classes upon request to help prevent wildfires. In addition, Smokey Bear makes appearances at special events promoting fire safety (fire company open houses, parades, safety fairs, etc.) Due to federal licensing arrangements, Smokey Bear is not permitted to appear at special events in which fire safety is NOT a primary message. Email: Ashley.Ward

Speakers Bureau Our foresters will provide a variety of forestry programs to schools and civic organizations, including: Wildland firefighting and wildfire prevention; Forest health (i.e. disease identification/prevention and pest control); Forest management (i.e. timber harvesting, reforestation); Watershed forestry (using trees to improve water quality); Urban forestry (improving and maintaining forest resources in Delaware's cities, towns, and communities); and Careers in forestry For school presentations, our staff will customize the presentation to any specific grade level. Email: Ashley.Ward

Project Learning Tree
The Delaware Forest Service strives to integrate Project Learning Tree (PLT) activities into daily classroom lessons. This award-winning environmental education program is designed for educators who work with students in kindergarten through grade 12.