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FRA PUBLICIZES 2006 IN-WOODS TEACHERS TOURS RELEASE: February 17, 2006
CONTACT: Neil Ward (301/838-9385) Rockville, MD – The Forest Resources Association has enlarged its on-line directory of in-woods Teachers Tour programs and updated it for 2006. The directory--listing information about 33 tours-- is posted at www.forestresources.org/tt/home.html. “Teachers are our link to the next generation,” comments Jim Stark, leader of the FRA team that developed the on-line directory. “Most programs are scheduled for June or July, so now is the time to get involved, supporting a Tour program or sponsoring a teacher’s participation.” Stark points out that the Temperate Forest Foundation (www.forestinfo.org) has been working with states and provinces since 1989 launching and supporting high-quality programs, “but many excellent Teachers Tour projects start up because an association, a company, or an academic department sees a need and fills it,” he notes. Tours typically last three to five days, with classroom time, plenty of time in the woods—-and exposure to forest operations and manufacturing. “Most programs show teachers the activities they may find most troubling and get the dialogue out in the open,” says Stark. “We need to share our stewardship commitment and listen to the feedback.” Tour programs increasingly focus on helping teachers with curriculum development and on establishing measures of how well teachers’ learnings transfer to the classroom. Many Tours use Project Learning Tree (PLT) activities to provide hands-on experience with high-quality environmental education curriculum. The PLT training also helps qualify a Tour for professional development credit. Tours need support from the forest community, both to cover their costs and for logistical help on the ground. FRA’s on-line directory provides contact names for Tour organizers, as well as dates, locations, and descriptions of Tour programs. A response box invites visitors to correct or update listings or to inform FRA of Tours that aren’t listed. Visit the site today, and support a Tour program in your region! The Forest Resources Association Inc. is a nonprofit trade association concerned with the safe, efficient, and sustainable harvest of forest products and their transport from woods to mill. FRA represents wood consumers, independent logging contractors, and wood dealers, as well as businesses providing products and services to the forest resource-based industries. ####### Forest Resources Association
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