Port Edwards school district plans forest learning center

PORT EDWARDS -- School district officials are looking for community involvement in the next phase of establishing a new school forest.

A variety of district stakeholders, including Port Edwards School Board members, students, faculty members and Superintendent Pat Sullivan, will work as a committee with the goal of building a learning facility at the district's forest west of Ripple Creek Park.

"It's a beautiful, diverse, nice wooded piece of property," Sullivan said.

The forest will provide environmental education opportunities to all of the district's students.

"The board wants to get a lot of community involvement in this project," Sullivan said. "We want to make sure we do this as economically as possible, but we want to spend as much time gathering ideas."

The district bought the 40-acre forest for about $115,000 earlier this year after selling its previous 29-acre parcel west of the ERCO plant in Port Edwards for $126,000 in January. The chemical maker also donated $150,050 to the district as part of the agreement.

With the new forest so close to both of the district's school buildings, getting students to the site will be much easier, Sullivan said.

"We'll no longer have to bus students to the facility," she said. "The proximity to the buildings will be a real advantage."

No timeline has been placed on having the new facility built, but the intent of the building will be clear, said board member Dana Duncan, who is on the forest committee.

"We're trying to get to a point where we have some interest in renewable resources and various environmental issues," Duncan said. "It all comes down to us finding ways to grow jobs in this area and encourage kids to look at different sources. The days of having the couple major employers in town are over."

Sullivan said that from the beginning, the School Board has insisted on having the school forest project center around green technology. Teachers worked last school year to develop a specific curriculum in environmental education at the site.

To join the forest committee, call Pat Sullivan at 887-9000. Final committee selections will be made by the Sept. 14 School Board meeting.

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