April 4, 2025
What do you get when you bring over 120 people together to talk about environmental education and growing effective forest partnerships?
Magic.
Last month, we held our 39th annual Project Learning Tree (PLT) conference in picturesque Clemson, South Carolina. PLT State Coordinators, facilitators, educators, and partners in the forest and conservation sector came together to build relationships, design the future of environmental education, and collaborate on ways to introduce more children to nature.
The week started with a special pre-conference workshop created for nearly 100 local South Carolina educators to receive hands-on PLT training. Supported by the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation (ICPF), the workshops delivered professional development tailored for three tracks: Early Childhood, Kindergarten through Grade 8, and Green Jobs. Attendees learned how to lead PLT activities and incorporate them into their programs.
Keynote speaker Dr. J. Drew Lanham, Distinguished Professor and Master Teacher of Wildlife Ecology at Clemson University (who is also featured in the SFI-PLT-MANRRS guide Black Faces in Green Spaces: The Journeys of Black Professionals in Green Careers) kicked off the conference with an inspiring speech.
“Environmental educators are wonder weavers,” Dr. Lanham shared. If you’ve ever looked at a child’s face when they first explore nature, you know this to be true. Watching as a sense of awe and wonder fills their eyes.
Environmental education is needed now more than ever. And as Dr. Lanham said, “This is not the work of becoming rich, but becoming enriched.” Nature is something that enriches us all. It enriches our minds, fills our cup, sparks creativity, and nourishes our souls. His words set the tone for the rest of the conference and left us inspired.
From learning how to use PLT activities to certify as an Arbor Day Foundation K-12 Tree Campus to best practices for delivering theme-based professional development to educators, attendees were inspired to bring their knowledge back to educators in their state. And a special field excursion to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)-certified Clemson Experimental Forest capped off everyone’s experience!
We heard from local wildland firefighters and learned how they use prescribed burns to manage the forest and remove fuel ladders. We saw the damage that invasive insects can cause to trees, which harm forest health. We also visited a working forest, seeing regeneration in progress at a recently harvested site with replanted trees thriving. It was incredible to learn from experts in the field!
When educators discover how a sustainably managed forest operates and how it benefits our communities, economy, and environment, it opens the eyes and minds of entire communities. Educator forest tours like these are available in many states, and we highly recommend attending one! It opens up so many new ways to teach and brings the forest to life in the classroom.
During the week, celebrated several individuals for their contributions to PLT over the years, honoring our Leadership in Education awardees: Butch Bailey, Mississippi; Angela Bartholomay, North Dakota; and Susan Cox, New York.
We also gave two incredible PLT State Coordinators, Ted Stevens of Texas and Ashley Hoffman of Kentucky, our PLT Gold Star awards. If you’ve ever had the chance to meet either of them, consider yourself lucky! Ted and Ashley embody the meaning of PLT champion. They consistently show up with gratitude, passion, and a love of environmental education.
Ashley is the Executive Director of the Kentucky Association of Environmental Education (KAEE) and the PLT State Coordinator in Kentucky. She also serves on the SFI Board of Directors and PLT’s Education Operating Committee. Ted is the Education Director of the Texas Forestry Education and the PLT State Coordinator in Texas. His passion, hands-on approach, and unwavering dedication have left a lasting impact, ensuring that future generations understand and value the role of forests in our world.
The 2025 PLT Conference left us all inspired and refreshed (check out the full photo album on Facebook!), and we could not have done it without the help of our gracious hosts, South Carolina PLT! Matt Schnabel, South Carolina PLT State Coordinator, formed an incredible team of volunteers to help plan the conference alongside our national team, and we are so grateful for their hard work in making this such a successful week.
Thank you to all our amazing sponsors, speakers, and attendees for celebrating another impactful year with Project Learning Tree. We can’t wait to see everyone again in 2026 for our 50th anniversary and conference in Nebraska at the Arbor Day Farm Lied Lodge!
