During the winter of 2020 – 2021, Maine TREE completed a timber harvest at the Holt Research Forest, which opened the doors for an educational opportunity to introduce children to sustainable forest management. This summer, Maine TREE empowered the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT) to host a Kids Summer Day Camp at the Holt Research Forest, where the children ages 6 through 12 were able to explore and learn about forest ecosystems in an outdoor classroom setting.
Two camp sessions were held in July and August, and activities ranged from art projects to experiments to activities led by forestry professionals. Will Cole of Trees LTD came to speak with the children about logging and forest management while highlighting some of the many things you can learn from trees. When asked about the importance of introducing young people to sustainable forest management at an early age, Will stated, “Our culture needs to be reconnected to its roots. Overlooking the next generation is how agendas and half-truths get traction. Pure exposure to the facts creates our biggest allies.” Will continued, quoting Proverbs 22:6, “Bring up a child in the way he should go, when he is old he will not depart from it.”
The camp attendees were fascinated to learn from Will, and by the end of their session, many students acknowledged Will’s lesson had opened their eyes to the benefits of forest management. Thank you to the KELT team for your hard work, which made this camp a success. Maine TREE looks forward to supporting more educational opportunities for young people in the future.
