The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s LEAF program, in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, is inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards through a hands-on tree seed collection initiative in the state’s school forests.
As part of the initiative, students learn about tree reproduction, seedling growth and the role forests play in sustainability. Seeds collected through this program will become the seedlings planted in school forests over the next two to three years, ensuring that these spaces continue to thrive for educational and environmental purposes.
Steve Schmidt, outreach coordinator for LEAF, spoke with WPR’s “Morning Edition” to share how this initiative is helping students engage with forestry and sustainability in a tangible way.
Stay informed on the latest news
Sign up for WPR’s email newsletter.
The pilot program launched in fall 2024 with three school forests: Almond-Bancroft School Forest, Cedric A. Vig Outdoor Classroom in Rhinelander, and Laona School Forest. Each site offered unique opportunities for learning and seed collection.
“Having these pilot schools participate taught us a lot,” Schmidt said. “We hope to have a workshop this summer where we invite school forest educators from around the state to train them how to collect seeds and how to identify trees as well so that we can ultimately support regeneration and reforestation throughout the state.”
The project also marks the beginning of preparations for the school forest program’s centennial in 2027-28. By fostering a sense of ownership and connection to the land, the initiative connects students with their local school forests, emphasizing environmental education while supporting Wisconsin’s reforestation efforts.
The following interview was edited for brevity and clarity.
Shereen Siewert: Let’s start with a brief overview of the LEAF program and this partnership.
Steve Schmidt: LEAF is part of the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education in the College of Natural Resources at UW-Stevens Point and we are a partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry.
Siewert: What inspired the focus on tree seed collection?
Schmidt: Tree seed collection was inspired by our work, our connection to the DNR and trying to plan for the school forest centennial, which is coming up in the 2027-28 school year. One of the Division of Forestry Bureau directors came up with the idea of expanding seed collection to school forests.
There are a few school forests around the state that do this a little bit here and there already. With more than 430 school forests in Wisconsin, we thought this would be a great opportunity to collect seeds from around the whole state.
Siewert: How did you choose the participating districts?
Schmidt: The districts that were involved were Almond-Bancroft, Rhinelander and Laona, and each of those has multiple school forests. We reached out to schools that were in proximity to certain foresters who have worked with us in the past, and we had some connections to those teachers already. We figured they would jump on board, and they did. We reached out to several schools and these three got back to us.
Siewert: What specifically did you have the students do?
Schmidt: At Almond-Bancroft, we had Brenda Sherman’s seventh grade students come out and harvest red pinecones. A DNR Division of Forestry regeneration specialist led the field trip, and we met them out there. They collected a little less than a bushel of red pinecones, and that took about an hour.
The Rhinelander School Forest coordinator, Mike Cheslock, brings lots of elementary school students there. They collected 66 pounds of red oak acorns. They had a great time and had a competition between the schools to see which school would collect the most acorns.
In Laona, their science teachers met us and we explained the different ways we collect seeds. We did some math trying to imagine how much we could earn if we collected a bushel of this seed as opposed to a different seed. One of the things these trips taught us is that it’s variable, how you’re going to be collecting those seeds. That’s why we want to train educators to pay attention to what seeds look like and how they’re coming along at their school forests. You know, you might get a good oak crop in one part of the state, but not in another part of the state.
Siewert: What are some of the educational benefits for students?
Schmidt: I think most students in Wisconsin probably plant a seed somewhere in their elementary years and watch a plant grow. This kind of gets at a step before that — the reproductive aspects in terms of how a seed grows and where it grows. They connect the different kinds of seeds to the lifecycle of trees, and to reforestation.
This is a great opportunity for students to be part of the process. One of the benefits of being a registered school forest is that they receive free tree seedlings from the state nursery, and this is a great way to support that as well. Seeds that were collected in their school forests will go to the nursery, and in a couple of years, hopefully those seedlings will be redistributed.
There are a lot of things that can be learned depending on what level the students are at in school.
Siewert: How does this effort connect to the upcoming centennial celebration?
Schmidt: I’ve been with LEAF for about six years now, and I’ve gotten connected to the history of the school forest by digging into the files and learning all about it. As part of that process, I wound up realizing that a centennial is coming in just a few years, and it’s kind of my pet project that I’m working on.
The connection became apparent because it takes a few years for those seedlings to get to the size where they are distributed back around the state, and it happens to be the range of dates we are looking at between now and the centennial.
Wisconsin is proud to proclaim that we have the first school forest program in the U.S. And in fact, one of the pilot schools, Laona, is the first school forest in the country.
Siewert: What do you love most about this project personally?
Schmidt: As an educator, anytime you can learn with your students is exciting, and it empowers the students themselves as well.
If you have an idea about something in central Wisconsin you think we should talk about on “Morning Edition,” send it to us at central@wpr.org.
