Get Outside!

Forest Ecology

Class Description:

Based in the unique Forest Ecology Building, students will travel through the woods gaining a balanced appreciation of both the living forest and wood as a harvested resource. Field work may involve planting, brushing around seedlings, and bud capping to discourage deer predation. Students will be challenged to make a simple forest management plan, and choose ways to manage personal consumption to maintain forest sustainability.

This class is usually part of an all-day excursion paired with either Stream Study, Fisheries Management, Beavers, Animal Signs, or Cross-country Skiing. Picnic lunches are served at the Forest Ecology Building. Please send at least one adult to accompany this class.

Outcomes

Upon completion of the Forestry class students will be able to:

  • Identify the major tree species at Wolf Ridge.
  • Define the following forestry terms: cord, acre, plantation, succession, ecosystem, pioneer species, climax species, snag, diversity (age and species), clear cut, selective cut, erosion, habitat, pollution, sustainable.
  • Recognize and evaluate the multiple uses of a forest (timber, wildlife, water, recreation).
  • Demonstrate silvicultural practices such as releasing,bud capping, crosscut sawing.
  • Design a simple forest management plan.
  • Choose ways to manage personal consumption in order to maintain forest sustainability.

Minnesota Graduation Standards

Wolf Ridge has aligned the Center's entire curriculum to Minnesota Department of Education Academic Standards. As the primary student audience at Wolf Ridge is from 4th-12th grade, the matrices address these grade levels. Teachers may request that their students focus upon a specific benchmark while attending Wolf Ridge. The Wolf Ridge Curriculum Standards Matrix addresses benchmarks in

  • Science
  • Math
  • History and Social Science
  • Language Arts
  • Arts

Wolf Ridge Curriculum Concepts

  • A complex natural system is more stable than a simple one, and more able to absorb disturbances.
  • A growing human population is making increasing demands on natural resources.
  • Unless interrupted, ecosystems change in a predictable manner called succession.
  • Humans have a great ability to alter natural systems, and a responsibility to consider the effects of our actions.
  • See entire Wolf Ridge Curriculum Framework

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Time
3 hours this class
2 hours outdoors
Part of all-day excursion
(see desc. to left)

Audience
4th grade - adult

Activity level
strenuous

Travel
2 miles

Total uphill travel
400 feet

150 px wide please