The 17th annual Florida Forestry Teachers’ Tour taught 46 state educators about the forestry industry.
Educators from as far away as Destin down to Key West learned about the valuable economic impact of the dynamic forestry industry. The four-day tour ran from June 20-23 and spanned 300 miles through four Florida counties.
Teachers visited with federal, state and private timber growers, saw a logging operation on Rayonier property, a prescribed burn on Jennings State Forest and a red-cockaded woodpecker conservation area on Camp Blanding.
Teachers also toured the West Frasier saw mill in White House, the West Rock papermill and box plant in Fernandina Beach and Symrise Inc. chemical plant in Jacksonville. These interactive stops provided teachers with a holistic understanding of forestry in Florida and gave an overview of the vast forest products industry.
Teachers were excited to learn about the multitude of forestry-based careers available for their students. They were also impressed with the level of enthusiasm everyone they met during the tour had about their forestry-related jobs.
Conservation and sustainability of natural resources were a common theme in every aspect of the industry from the planting and growing processes to the mills and end products. In Florida, more trees are planted than harvested each year, ensuring that timber resources will be here for future generations.
One teacher remarked, “I thought I was passionate about my job, but I see that people working in forestry are just as passionate about what they do.”
All meals and lodging were provided and teachers earned 30 continuing education units for their time. Additionally, they received a variety of educator materials and ideas for lesson plans that they can easily put to use in the classroom.
The annual tour is possible through sponsorships from forest industry, private forest landowners, the Florida Forest Service and others. To participate in the tour or make a donation, visit http://floridaforest.org/programs/teachers-tour.