The Florida Division of Forestry routinely lights “prescribed” fires in wooded areas throughout the state to prevent fuel buildup on the forest floor that can result in devastating wildfires.
To forester Dale Armstrong, a tree is a teacher and the forest is his classroom. Every year, he treks hundreds of Indian River County school children and their FCAT-weary teachers outdoors for a lesson on how to hunt like a bird or compete like a sapling. It’s all part of a hands-on, interdisciplinary educational program known as Project Learning Tree (PLT) that teaches children how, rather than what, to think about their environment. The forest is their “window on the world.”
People who appreciate the wonders of nature are more apt to be “good stewards” of it, says Armstrong. “If we heighten awareness of children to the needs of trees and dispel a lot of myths and fallacies that even a lot of adults have today, then maybe we can better protect some of those resources.” Environmentally literate adults won’t necessarily agree, but they will have more enlightened discussions about tree protection ordinances as well as air quality standards and sea walls.
Read the entire article in the September 2003 issue
True Tails is a series written by Amy Robinson for Vero Beach’s dog lovers. Ask Amy about your dog’s behavior by clicking below.
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