Forest Management Curriculum
Riveredge Nature Center
2016
Overview
This 5 week curriculum will engage middle and high school homeschool students (6-12th grade)
in inquiry-based education programming that examines forest health and land management
through the lens of a professional forester and/or land manager. This curriculum will use the
most current technology/tools in forestry management to engage, inform, and teach students
about Wisconsin forestry and forestry management concepts.
Objectives
● Provide home school students (6-12th grade) with an inquiry-based educational program
on forestry and land management concepts.
● Students will gain a deeper understanding of what a healthy forest looks like and how to
determine overall forest health.
● Allow students to learn and engage with the most current technology/tools in the forestry
management profession.
Background Information
In a society where financial and land resources continue to decline, youth need to be exposed to
and educated about the value of our forests, for they are the ones that will one day make choices
about preservation, conservation, and sustainable uses of our land and natural resources.
Without knowledge about sustainable uses of our forests and lands, it is unlikely that we will see
future improvements in land management and natural resource use.
Homeschool students are unique, as they may or may not have exposure to forestry education.
We are fortunate at Riveredge Nature Center that so many families choose a nature center as
their partner for exposing and teaching their children about the natural environment.
Unfortunately, at Riveredge, we have done very little to incorporate forest biology or
management into our middle and high school aged educational programming. Most forest
programs focus on forest ecology and basic tree identification, as well as forest animals and
insects; these classes are geared primarily towards elementary students. Due to the devastating
impacts of the emerald ash borer on the Riveredge landscape, Riveredge has undergone a major
forest management planning process over the last year. Future forest management at Riveredge
will include deer exposures, timber harvests, and other best management practices and it would
be ideal for students to help play a role in future land management data collection. The
curriculum developed through this project will capitalize on these learning opportunities –
opportunities that are also present in other natural areas throughout Wisconsin.
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Program Evaluation
At the completion of the 5 week program, homeschool parents and students will complete a
survey to gage opinions about the impact and effectiveness of the program. A copy of the survey
can be found in the Appendix. Each weekly activity will include homework and reflection
elements to gage student learning. Program evaluation also includes the following:
● New vocabulary that the students use in their conversations
● Questions that the children are asking. Do the questions show an increased awareness of
forestry concepts?
● Indications that the student’s experience is allowing them to critically think about forestry
management and habitat health. Are they drawing new conclusions or asking new
questions based on their observations?
Subject Areas
Science (biology, forestry, natural resources, wildlife)
Mathematics
Physical Education
Language Arts
Lesson/Activity Time
Total Lesson Time: 15 hours (Each Activity = 3 hours)
Activity 1: Forest Assessment I (pages 3-4)
Activity 2: Forest Assessment II (pages 5-6)
Activity 3: Disturbance and Forest Succession (pages 7-9)
Activity 4: Land Management at Riveredge Nature Center (pages 10-11)
Activity 5: Recreational Tree Climbing (pages 12-14)
Program Text
Haskell, David George. The Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch in Nature. Penguin Books, 2013.
Teaching Site
Classroom and forested site on the Riveredge Nature Center Sanctuary
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Activity 1: Forest Assessment I
Activity Time: 180 minutes (3 hrs)
Background
Riveredge began in 1968 with a purchase of 72 acres of wild Ozaukee land along the Milwaukee
River near Newburg. A private, non-profit group of citizens, the Riveredge Foundation, hoped
to raise the monies to buy and preserve the land as a nature study center for the area’s school
children. A few short years later (1970), an additional 70 acres of the “Sugarline Farm” was
purchased, followed two years later by an additional 72 acres of land including the tamarack
swamp. In 1985, 51 additional acres were added to the Riveredge Sanctuary. Today, Riveredge
consists of a 379-acre sanctuary which includes the 47-acre Riveredge Creek and Ephemeral
Pond State Natural Area, over 1.5 miles of forested frontage along the Milwaukee River, 37
acres of prairie establishment, beech-maple forest, and pond, swamp and fen communities. It is
protected habitat for endangered and threatened species such as the Swamp Metalmark Butterfly,
Forked Aster, Goldenseal, and the Red-shouldered Hawk.
The forests at Riveredge can all be classified as mature; most of the trees within the forests are at
peak or near peak for growth and lifespan. There is evidence of vegetative succession
throughout the landscape. Some tree species are exhibiting fungal or bacterial diseases, while
others are standing tall and strong.
In 2008, the emerald ash borer (EAB) was identified on the property. Experts suggest the
invasive insect could have established on the property as early as 2004. Now in 2016, the
sanctuary is exhibiting devastating effects of EAB on Riveredge’s ash population and a forest
management plan has been created. Active forest management occurs on the landscape, in
addition to the collection of biological survey data throughout the year. Understanding the
health of a forest can really help to determine forest longevity and management for organisms
that depend on the forests for survival.
Objective
Students will gain an understanding of what a healthy forest looks like and how to determine
overall forest health.
Method
Students conduct forest diversity and health inventories of the Riveredge Nature Center forests,
in addition to using the tools of the forestry trade. They also meet with a professional forester to
learn about different forestry management perspectives and the role of a professional land
manager.
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Word Bank
Canopy, canopy structure, composition, diameter at breast height (DBH), food availability,
forest, habitat, herbaceous, interspersion, limiting factor, mast, nursery, shrub, snag, twig
References
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UW-Stevens Point’s LEAF Curriculum “Habitat Assessment Lesson”
UW-Green Bay Cofrin Center for Biodiversity’s online Herbarium
http://www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/herbarium/
Materials
● Copy of “Habitat Assessment
Protocol” worksheet (Appendix 1)
● Tree and shrub ID guide
● Writing materials
● Clinometer (4)
● Meter Tape (4)
● Tree Scale Stick (4)
● DBH tape (4)
● Clipboard (4)
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IPad (optional) (4)
GPS units (optional)
Forestry cruiser vests (5)
Soil tube sampler (5)
Bi-Metal thermometers (5)
Pocket magnifiers (5)
Densitometer (5)
Crown Densiometers (5)
Procedure
1. Prior to going outside, students are divided into groups of 4 and create a list of forest
components (e.g. 75-100% canopy, shaded, cooler temperature, short understory, etc).
2. When all of the groups are done, each group presents their list in order to create a master
list for the class.
3. Using the Leaf Curriculum’s Habitat Assessment Protocol (See Appendix 1), each group
(4 students each) is given a habitat component. Students need to create a survey protocol
for their habitat component with the forestry tools supplied by Riveredge (see Materials
List). Students share their protocols with the other student groups and gain necessary
feedback in order to finalize protocols.
Evaluation
The data analyzation and habitat determination will serve as the summative assessment.
Additional Activities
● Read The Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch in Nature and answer questions on “The Forest
Unseen January through March Questions” Worksheet (Appendix 2).
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Activity 2: Forest Assessment II
Activity Time: 180 minutes (3 hrs)
Background
Riveredge Nature Center’s sanctuary is protected habitat for endangered and threatened species
such as the Swamp Metalmark Butterfly, Forked Aster, Goldenseal, and the Red-shouldered
Hawk. In addition to these species, Riveredge is also home to an abundance of other species.
It is important to understand what species utilize the forested habitats, as well as gain an
understanding of what the forest provides the animals. Any forestry or land management
alterations could benefit or be detrimental to species populations depending on organism needs.
Objective
Students will complete the forest habitat survey started in Activity 1 and conduct a wildlife
suitability assessment to determine wildlife use of the forested project area.
Method
Students conduct tree diversity and habitat health inventories of the Riveredge forests, in
addition to learning about and using the tools of the forestry trade.
References
● UW-Stevens Point’s LEAF Curriculum “Habitat Assessment Lesson”
● UW-Green Bay Cofrin Center for Biodiversity’s online Herbarium
http://www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/herbarium/
● National Botanical Research Institute’s Lichenology Laboratory
http://www.ces.iisc.ernet.in/biodiversity/sahyadri_enews/newsletter/issue16/identify.htm
● First Nature’s “Fungi Families/Types Identity Parade” http://www.firstnature.com/fungi/~id-guide.php
● National Wetlands Research Center’s Habitat Suitability Index
http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/wdb/pub/hsi/hsiindex.htm
Materials
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Tree and shrub ID guide
Writing materials
Clinometer (4)
Meter Tape (4)
Tree Scale Stick (4)
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DBH tape (4)
Clipboard (4)
IPad (optional) (4)
GPS units (optional)
Forestry cruiser vests (5)
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Soil probes (5)
Bi-Metal thermometers (5)
Pocket magnifiers (5)
Densitometer (5)
Crown Densiometers (5)
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Word Bank
Habitat Suitability Index, species distribution/range, wildlife species
Procedure
1. Based on feedback from class during Activity 1, students should finalize habitat
assessment protocols and then collect all necessary data for their specific habitat
characteristic.
2. Students will assess evidence of fungi and lichen growth within the designated forested
habitat using online identification keys for reference.
3. Based on data from group habitat assessments, the students will conduct a wildlife
suitability assessment. To do this, student groups will select one wildlife species native to
the Riveredge Sanctuary and is a species for which a Habitat Suitability Indices have been
developed. Selected species can include the following:
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Black-Capped Chickadee
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Cottontail
Grey Squirrel
Hairy Woodpecker
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Pileated Woodpecker
White Tail Deer
Mink
Muskrat
Evaluation
The suitability assessment utilizes all of the information collected in this lesson to evaluate the
wildlife suitability of the project area. Students will be evaluated on the integration of their
habitat assessments into their wildlife suitability determination.
Additional Activities
● Students review the appropriate Habitat Suitability Index Model (See References Section)
for their chosen species and determine if the habitat is suitable for that species. Students
will present their findings in the following class session.
● Read The Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch in Nature and answer assigned questions on
“The Forest Unseen April through May Questions” Worksheet (Appendix 2).
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Activity 3: Disturbance & Forest Succession
Activity Time: 180 minutes (3 hrs)
Background
Ecological succession is the gradual process by which ecosystems change and develop over time.
Succession takes place because the environmental conditions in a particular place change over
time. Each species is adapted to specific environmental conditions in order to survive. If these
conditions change, the existing species must either adapt to the changing environment or will be
succeeded by species that will.
Ecological disturbances are events that occur on the landscape that change environmental
conditions and cause a profound change in the structure and/or function of an environment.
Impacts on ecosystems by disturbances vary depending on the severity and frequency of the
disturbance. Causes for disturbances will depend on geographical locations, wildlife usage, land
management objectives, and weather.
Objective
Students will learn about the impacts of disturbance on the landscape (manmade and naturally caused)
and about the process of forest succession.
Method
Students will engage in activities and discussions about: landscape succession and the history of
Riveredge; natural and non-natural landscape disturbance; and, participate in an activity that
examines how deer can create disturbance on the landscape.
References
● Project WILD’s “Dropping in on Deer” Activity (Appendix 3)
● Discovery Education Science’s “Primary and Secondary Succession” Reading (Appendix
4)
Materials
● Colored survey tape or wire survey
flags
● Measuring tape
● Compasses
● Clip boards
● Writing materials
● Pellet Group Counter Worksheets
(one for each group of 4 students)
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Word Bank
Carrying capacity, disturbance, pioneer species, ecological succession, primary succession,
secondary succession
Procedure
1. Discuss the habitat suitability analysis done by the students.
Discuss why this is important for land managers (for example):
● Managers determine what types of species they would like to ‘manage
for’. An example would be game animals or threatened or endangered
species.
● Management practices such as timber harvest, prescribed burns, invasive
species removal, etc., will alter the vegetation type over time to reflect the
desired conditions.
2. Introduce the concept of landscape succession.
a. Discuss this relative to the history of the land at Riveredge. Create a list of
disturbances with the students.
b. Divide the list into natural and human-caused disturbances.
i. Natural: wind, flood, lightning/fire, insects, mammals/deer, disease,
volcanos, ice, glaciers, landslides.
ii. Human: development, logging, invasive species, climate change, fire.
1. What types of disturbance would lead to primary succession?
2. What is the difference between primary and secondary succession?
3. If we left Riveredge alone, how would the landscape change over
time?
3. Deer Management Activity
a. Discuss how and why deer create natural disturbances in our forests.
i. They eat tree saplings, shrubs, and wildflowers altering the understory and
opening up habitat for invasive species to take hold.
b. Conduct the Dropping in on Deer (Project WILD) activity with the students (See
Appendix).
i. Groups of students survey different parts of Riveredge and count deer
pellets to roughly determine population density and deer movement
patterns.
ii. Discuss carrying capacity and how wildlife managers might use a
population density study to help manage a herd.
4. Succession and Disturbance Hike
a. Students hike to a high point at Riveredge and discuss any signs of disturbance
seen along the way.
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b. When a high vantage point is reached, students find a spot to sit and draw what
they see.
i. What did it look like 200 years ago?
ii. What will it look like in 10 years, 50 years, and 200 years from now
without any human-caused influence?
Evaluation
Active participation in the following: Forest Unseen discussion, habitat suitability reports,
generating a list of disturbances, deer pellet surveys, succession discussion and drawing project.
Additional Activities
● Read and write a summary on the article about succession from Discovery Education
Science (See Reference Section).
● “The Forest Unseen September through October Questions” Worksheet (Appendix 2).
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Activity 4: Land Management at Riveredge
Activity Time: 180 minutes (3 hrs)
Background
The Riveredge Nature Center’s Sanctuary is a unique ecological area for its biodiversity and
continual maintenance and control of invasive species. It is a jewel in the landscape of Ozaukee
County. Containing 379 acres of various habitats, the sanctuary serves as a resource for
scientific research and provides opportunities for citizen scientists to expand their horizons. Land
management projects include: increasing plant diversity in the planted prairies to increase native
pollinator species; releasing of oak trees from adjacent competing tree species to allow for the
oaks to flourish; invasive species management; providing a site for a successful pilot Swamp
Metalmark Recovery Project; and, evaluating a number of Emerald Ash Borer management
strategies and research projects.
Objective
Exploring on-the-ground decisions: How is Riveredge managing its diverse ecosystems now and
for the future?
Method
Students meet with Riveredge’s Land Manager to learn about what Riveredge is doing to manage
the diverse habitats within the sanctuary. Students will participate in a tree density and forest
health activity.
References
● The Guardian’s “Bird backpacks’ help scientists discover the longest oversea migration”
article https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/apr/01/bird-backpacks-help-scientistsdiscover-the-longest-oversea-migration
Materials
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Tree and shrub ID guide
Writing materials
Clinometer (4)
Meter Tape (4)
Tree Scale Stick (4)
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DBH tape (4)
Clipboard (4)
Forestry cruiser vests (5)
Bi-Metal thermometers (5)
Pocket magnifiers (5)
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Densitometer (5)
Increment tree borers (5)
Crown Densiometers (5)
Tree cookies (1 per group)
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Word Bank
Tree density, succession, invasive species, land management, diversity, ephemeral,
dendrochronology, bark, pith, growth rings
Procedure
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Riveredge Nature Center’s Land Manager leads students on a forest health/ecology hike
and demonstrates how to use many of the tools current foresters use today.
a. Concepts to be covered include:
i. Forest composition (e.g. canopy structure, tree diversity, spring
ephemerals, etc.)
ii. Forest succession
iii. Trail usage and soil compaction
iv. Forest management (e.g. timber harvests, invasive species management,
etc.)
Tree Growth – Dendrochronology
a. Riveredge staff conducts a demonstration on how to extract a portion of the tree
trunk using a tree corer in order to tell how old the tree is.
b. Students break into groups of two or three individuals and choose a tree that they
would like to age.
c. Groups use an increment tree corer to extract a tree sample and count the rings in
the wood to determine age.
d. Students examine the tree rings and hypothesize potential environmental
conditions that may have influenced the tree growth.
e. Students are then given a tree cookie to examine. They should sketch what they
see and be able to label the following stem components (bark, pith, growth rings)
f. As a class, students present their findings and discuss if there are differences
among tree species, location of tree, etc.
Additional Activities
● Answer the assigned reading questions from The Forest Unseen and answer questions on
“The Forest Unseen November through December Questions” Worksheet (Appendix 2).
● Also read and summarize The Guardian’s article on bird migration: “Bird backpacks help
scientists discover the longest oversea bird migration” (See Reference Section).
Evaluation
Active participation in the following: Forest Unseen discussion, tree density/forest stand health
survey, and tree coring.
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Activity 5: Recreational Tree Climbing
Activity Time: 180 minutes (3 hrs)
Background
Recreational tree climbing planted its roots in 1974 with a man named Donald Perry, a young
research biologist who was wondering how to access the forest canopy in Costa Rica. It occurred
to him that equipment used in rock climbing could be used. In addition to being credited with
developing what became known as the zip-line and aerial tram, Dr. Perry continues research and
publishing fascinating papers on the relationship between our species’ arboreal past and is social
change over time.
In 1983, Peter Jenkins, an arborist and rock climber, realized that by combining his two passions,
he could share his love of trees and tree climbing with others, opening up the canopy to the
recreational visitor. Jenkins developed the first preliminary safety rules and procedures, and
private tree climbing school.
Twenty-four years later, in 2007, a man named Abe Winters entered the recreational tree
climbing movement. Winters, one of the most senior recreational tree climbing instructors in the
world, had spoken for years about trying to establish a representative organization to take tree
climbing forward. Harv Teitelbaum of Tree Climbing Colorado, as host of the 2007 Annual
Recreational Tree Climbing Rendezvous, saw the gathering as an opportunity to make such an
organization become a reality. He brought together a diverse group of experienced recreational
tree climbers to create the Global Organization of Tree Climbers (GOTC). Today among many
of its activities, the GOTC published guidelines for conducting facilitated climbs and climbing
training curricula.
In Fall 2013, Riveredge hosted a GOTC training program, allowing Riveredge staff and
individuals from the general public to become certified as GOTC Recreational Tree Climbing
Facilitators.
Objective
Students will learn about themselves, the forest, and what the role of a professional arborist is
from participating in Riveredge Nature Center’s Tree Climbing program.
Method
Participate in Riveredge’s Tree Climbing Adventure Program.
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References
● UW-Green Bay Cofrin Center for Biodiversity’s online Herbarium
http://www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/herbarium/
Materials
● Climbing ropes
● Tree or rock climbing helmets
● New Tribe Tengu saddles (or similar
brand)
● Tree identification key
● Tree Climbing waivers (one per
child)
● Cambium/rope savers
● Screw gate carabiners
● Climbing gloves
● Writing materials
Word Bank
Safety knot, arborist, tree cambium, environmental identity, needles, leaves, simple compound,
unlobed, lobed, palmately lobed, pinnately lobed
Procedure
1. Tree ID basics
a. Use bark, seeds, twigs, or leaves depending on season
b. Trees to I.D in Together Trek Woods: Sugar Maple, White Oak, Red Oak, Paper
Birch, Ash.
2. Leaves
a. Terminology
 Leaf Shape
 Needles vs. Leaves
 Simple vs. Compound
 Unlobed vs lobed
 Palmately lobed vs. Pinnately lobed
 Unlobed leaf without teeth vs. Lobed leaf with teeth
b. After explaining how to use leaves to identify trees, allow the students to explore
the forest floor in search of fallen leaves
c. (Optional) Use a Riveredge mini iPad with the leaf snap app to ID a few leaves.
The leaf must be placed on white paper for the app to work.
3. Safety and Risk
a. Riveredge Tree Climbing facilitators discuss how to identify a healthy tree and
what factors must be taken into consideration prior to conducting a tree climbing
program.
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4. Tree Careers
a. Discuss careers that students could explore that relate directly to trees. Careers
can include the following:
Forest ranger
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Landscape architect
Soil scientist
Paper maker
Maple syrup producer
Park conservationist
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Lumberjack
 Orchard manager
Reforestation engineer  Tree biologist
Holiday tree farmer
 Arborist
Tree trimmer
Woodworker/Carpenter
5. Recreational Tree Climbing
a. Students participate in a recreational tree climb facilitated by Riveredge tree
climbing facilitators.
Additional Activities
Be a naturalist in your neighborhood. Take a walk through your neighborhood and identify at
least five different types of trees. Then, make a “tree map” with each kind of tree and where it’s
located. How did those trees get there? Were they natural or planted? Include notes in your map
for a cool tree reference.
Evaluation
Students will be evaluated based on active participation in writing a reflective essay that
incorporates individual environmental identity, working with other students to identify and
speciate trees, being attentive to the Riveredge staff, and participating in the recreational tree
climbing activities.
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