LUFKIN, TEXAS – Educators came from around Texas to participate in Phase I of the Texas Forestry Association’s Teachers’ Conservation Institute (TCI), August 3-8, 2014 at the Piney Woods Conservation Center near Broaddus, Texas.
The first of three phases focused primarily on forests in Texas and the timber industry, which provides two thirds of the jobs in the East Texas region alone. The group took several field trips, touring The Forestry Museum in Lufkin, Texas, a logging site and tree farm, as well as mills Norbord Nacogdoches and Cal-Tex Lumber, Inc. in Nacogdoches, Texas. The group also toured the grounds of a seedling nursery, viewing firsthand what it takes to produce the optimal pine trees from parent to seedling.
“Teachers who have attended all three Phases of TCI are some of the best in the state,” said Misty Bowie, TCI Coordinator. “They are committed to bringing quality environmental education into their classroom.”
The three phases of TCI are designed to bring teachers and educators into the forests and nature in Texas while presenting activities and information they can use in their classrooms. The week-long training also provides continuing education credits and lays the groundwork for certification in Project Learning Tree and Project WILD, both nationally recognized programs.
For more information on Teachers’ Conservation Institute, Project Learning Tree or Project WILD, visit www.texasforestry.org or call 936-632-8477.
