reflect on the health and ecology of Colorado's forests, which includes mountain pine and many other beetles. Educators are reminded to utilize the award winning PLT activities to help learners gain knowledge and confidence to act on behalf of the environment we all share. Scroll to the bottom to see our Colorado PLT schools!
Colorado PLT Partner Benches are awarded to our colleagues who consistently provide or assist with PLT professional development workshops for educators at their site or facility. Frequently, there is one or more PLT professional facilitators on staff. We are grateful for their assistance in providing opportunities for educators to obtain PLT training and materials.
Engraved on the back:
"This Leopold bench, made from Colorado blue-stained wood, is awarded to recognize your commitment to share knowledge about, care for and celebrate
trees and forests in our ecosystems."
trees and forests in our ecosystems."
Our PLT Partners:
Rafael Salgado.................................................................................Dr.Teresa Higgins, University of Northen Colorado
Cal-Wood Outdoor Center..................................................................................................Dept of Elementary Education
Renee McLaughlin, Clayton Early Learning Center............................................Sara Davis, Denver Parks & Recreation
Mile High Million program
Richard Fulton and Kristine Greer,
PLT schools certify that all faculty are PLT trained at least once, and 50% are trained at all times. All classes teach at least one PLT activity each year, if not a forestry or environment unit. The school provides an annual service learning opportunity for students and the community that addresses a local forest or environmental issue. Schools maintain a faculty liaison who reports PLT activy each year to the Colorado State Forest Service, sponsor of PLT in Colorado.
First Colorado PLT School: Red Feather Lakes Elementary
Red Feather Lakes, Colorado
Shawna presents PLT School bench to Patrick Kind, principal of Red Feathers Lakes School,
faculty, students and parents at back to school night in fall, 2011.
Second Colorado PLT School: St. Columba School
Durango, Colorado
Aldo Leopold's Sand Country Almanac is, along with Thoreau's Walden, a classic in American ecological literature. In it, Leopold (1887-1948) --who founded the field of Wildlife Ecology, was instrumental in establishing the first official "wilderness area" in the United States (the Gila National Forest), and helped to create The Wilderness Society--recorded the passage of seasons as he and his family renovated what was a worn out, depleted farmstead on sandy river soil. It is now considered one of the earliest examples of an ecological restoration.Second Colorado PLT School: St. Columba School
Durango, Colorado
Shawna presents PLT Bench to Lu Boren, science teacher at St. Columba School, at all school assembly, May 2012
On weekends away from Aldo's post at the University of Wisconsin, they planted native trees and flowers and noted the doings of animals and birds and slowly remodeled the chicken coop (which was filled with frozen manure when they first got the farm) for human habitation; it is now the only chicken coop on the National Register of Historic Places. It is still called simply 'the Shack', and the site is preserved by the Aldo Leopold Foundation.
One of Leopold's benches in front of "the shack" in Wisconsin.
Our benches are carefully crafted by Corbin Clay Woodworking.
