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Board committee hears school-forest update: 90‑acre grant, invasive-species work and 685 ash trees marked
Summary
The curriculum committee reported a Sustain Our Great Lakes grant that funded treatment of 90 acres in the district school forest to remove invasive species; the committee also discussed environmental impacts and plans to seek funding to remove at least 685 ash trees affected by Emerald Ash Borer.
The district's curriculum committee reported on expanded use of the school forest and recent grants and environmental work supporting outdoor learning.
Committee chair David Bowman said school-forest programming is being used by multiple grade levels, with sixth-grade camping and plans to expand to a two-night experience again. The program is grant-funded in many cases; the committee reported a Sustain Our Great Lakes grant that treated 90 acres of the school forest with herbicide to control invasive species.
The committee also described a substantial ash-tree problem tied to tree mortality: "We have 685 marked so far," the committee reported, referring to trees that will need to be removed. Staff said that work will require additional funding and grant searches, and that maintenance teams have been assisting with early mitigation.
Committee members highlighted community partnerships — Crossfire Ranch, NAMI, Lighthouse Recovery, Rogers Behavioral Health, United Way, LTC and UWGB — to support innovative pathways and alternative programming. The curriculum committee recommended continued grant pursuit and community collaboration to support school-forest maintenance and programming.
No board action was required; the committee update was informational and emphasized the need to seek external funds for tree removal and ongoing program support.
