Ecological Restoration Institute program manager wins statewide award

April 4, 2022 -- Ecological Restoration Institute Program Manager Kelsey Cowart will receive a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources award for her work with the University of Wisconsin-River Falls two school forests.

The 2021 Learning Experiences and Activities in Forestry plaque will be awarded to Cowart Wednesday, April 6, in Stevens Point. The award recognizes individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to school forest programs.

Cowart said she was pleased with the award and its recognition.

The LEAF Program is Wisconsin’s K-12 forestry education program created in 2001 to help promote forestry education in Wisconsin. It is a partnership between the WDNR-Division of Forestry and the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education in the College of Natural Resources at UW-Stevens Point.

UWRF is one of the few higher learning institutions that has property registered in the school forest program, most school forests serve K-12 programs. The university has two registered school forests. 

School Forest 1 is on the south end of campus and is about 10 acres. School Forest 2 is on the north end of the Mann Valley Farm and is about 14 acres.

In the nomination, it was noted “Kelsey and her work with forestry faculty members has transformed our school forests into high impact spaces that support our campus and community. She has perfected the delicate balance of providing support while giving the students time and space to learn and explore independently. Earlier this year she and a colleague received funding from the Quiet Trails Fund through the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin to establish trails and foster increased use of one of our school forest lands. It is incredible to see these spaces being used by our students and community. She has done a phenomenal job taking on the responsibility of managing the two registered school forests that have been underutilized ever since they were registered in 2005.”

Cowart has also worked with students to remove buckthorn, an invasive species, from School Forest 2. Signing for the newly created trail in the forest is expected to be placed this spring.

“We want these forests to be used by everyone on campus,” Cowart said. “For our students, the natural resources give them a chance to develop plans or be part of the management. They can see what to expect when they are working in the field. They also get to be part of a transformation that they will be able to see years from now.”

Last year students helped plant 1,000 trees during Earth month in both forests. This year an additional 300 trees will be planted this spring. School Forest 1 is being restored to a white pine forest and oak savanna and School Forest 2 will largely remain an oak woodland forest.

Students who are taking a chainsaw safety course certification through the Ecological Restoration Institute are helping to remove red pine trees that are aged in School Forest 1.

Students will also help with a controlled burn of Riverside Prairie next to the north fork of the Kinnickinnic River this spring to help nurture native species.

The institute is part of the Plant and Earth Science Department in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. The institute is funded through the Environmental Studies Opportunity Fund, a fund created and sponsored by donors to the University Foundation. The fund also provides scholarships to students majoring in conservation and environmental science.

Some of the certifications offered to students predominantly in conservation and environmental planning and environmental science include chainsaw safety training, wildland firefighter training, boat safety, ATV/off-road education and tractor training. The certifications are offered free to students.

“It is a way for our students to develop skills and be more marketable to employers,” Cowart said. 

Students are also able to get employment through the institute. Part-time jobs are offered during the school year and full-time ones in the summer.

According to the LEAF website, there are 412 registered school forest parcels with over 28,000 acres of land. 

Wisconsin forest products provide more than 60,000 jobs and contribute more than $24.1 billion to the state’s economy annually.

More information about the Ecological Restoration Institute is available by contacting Cowart at kelsey.cowart@uwrf.edu.