08/27/2026
A huge thank you to everyone who attended our Forestry Educators Retreat—and to everyone who helped make the weekend such a tremendous success! 🌲💚
Our weekend was filled with connection, education, awareness, collaboration, and time to disconnect from the world and reconnect with each other and the outdoors.
Throughout the retreat, attendees had the opportunity to:
🌲 Walk and talk with foresters about how to read and understand the landscape and better understand the forests around us
🌳 Explore the history of Connecticut’s forests
🎯 Practice goal setting and SWAT analysis to use personally, in classrooms, or with organizations
💧 Wade into a river and assess its physical, chemical, and biological properties
📏 Measure trees and sharpen our tree identification skills
🌱 Explore the intricacies of the soil beneath our feet
🏫 Learn about community partners, including Conservation Districts, UConn 4-H, and Great Mountain Forest, and the ways they can support educators and bring valuable resources into the classroom
🌎 Learn about the Envirothon Competition and opportunities for students to engage in hands-on environmental learning
📚 Explore a variety of lessons, resources, and activities for both formal and informal education
🤝 Share ideas, experiences, and inspiration with fellow forestry educators
We were also incredibly fortunate to hear from Ethan Tapper at the UCC Church in Norfolk, surrounded by a room full of like-minded individuals passionate about forests, education, and stewardship.
We are so grateful that Northwest Conservation District partnered with UConn 4-H, Great Mountain Forest, and Doolittle Lake, with support from the Society of American Foresters, UCC Church, and the Haystack Book Festival, to bring Ethan to Norfolk. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn, connect, and engage in meaningful conversation about our forests and the work we do.
It was truly a weekend full of learning, laughter, reflection, hands-on experiences, and meaningful connections. We are so grateful to everyone who participated, shared their knowledge and experiences, led activities, supported the retreat, and helped create such a memorable experience.
We hope this weekend helped each of you grow as educators, deepen your understanding and appreciation of forests, and inspire the next generation of forest stewards. 🌲🌎💚
And a very special thank you to all of our sponsors who helped make this incredible event possible:
Society of American Foresters (SAF, NESAF, Yankee Division, CT Division), Union Savings Bank Foundation, Northwest Community Bank Foundation, and Great Mountain Forest.
Our raffle items and educational materials were generously supported by Outdoor Learning School and Store, One Less Thing, Nature Watch, Acorn Naturalists, and Farmington River Watershed Association.
We couldn't have done it without all of you! 🌲💚
UConn 4-H
Society of American Foresters
Union Savings Bank
Northwest Community Bank
Great Mountain Forest
Norfolk Church of Christ
Ethan Tapper
The Outdoor Learning School & Store
One Less Thing
Nature-Watch
Farmington River Watershed Association
