Forest school

Forest School is our deepest school partnership. Rather than a single visit, LTC educators work with the same class across the school year, meeting eight times between September and May at the same nearby preserve. Students get to know a place well: how it changes through the seasons, what lives there, and what it needs. Each year builds towards something the class makes together, such as a field guide to a preserve, an interpretive piece, or an on-the-ground improvement, which students share with LTC staff or community members in the spring. Teachers and LTC education staff plan together so that each visit supports what your grade is already working on. Programs are built around Michigan grade level standards and pull in science, writing, mapping, and art. Forest School is offered to a small number of classrooms each year, and LTC covers bussing costs.

For around 40 years, LTC education programs have been integrated into the school curriculum and used to complement the work that is happening in the classroom. Little Traverse Conservancy seeks to continually ensure that the programs match the current Michigan curriculum standards and provide students and teachers ways to connect their learning to their community and nature.