The Peshtigo School District’s school forest offers a variety of learning opportunities for the students in Peshtigo. The land, originally owned by Badger Paper Mill, was first planted with red pine by Peshtigo students in 1958. Since that time, students have been going to the school forest to learn about forest management.
In the past, students have pruned both the red pine and the spruce plantation, bundled and sold spruce boughs, and made and labeled trails throughout the property. They have also observed actual logging operations conducted by Frank’s Logging of Peshtigo.
Through the years, students have conducted ongoing experiments. These experiments have included determining whether planting one acre of seedlings a plot with: a deer fence, tree tubes, or in the wild will yield the largest crop. Students have also studied the different soil types and the vegetation that grows in them. At the forest, students learn the importance of protecting our wild places and respect for the outdoors.
Many improvements have taken place over the years at the school forest including a new shed and a pavilion for cover, in case of inclement weather, each of which was built by students.
For the last 15 years, students have gone to the school forest to go cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, which are two great and inexpensive winter time activities that most students have never experienced, but they soon find out how much fun they are. Every time students visit the school forest, they are treated to a cookout, consisting of hamburgers and hotdogs - which always seem to taste better when cooked with their friends.
|