Saskatchewan Forestry Association
The Saskatchewan Forestry Association (SFA) is a non-profit agency delivering forest education materials and programming to both schools and the public. It attempts to deliver objective information about the forest environment and current forest use issues. This is of particular importance considering that forests cover over half of Saskatchewan's land area.
The SFA was established in 1972, but long before this the Prairie Provinces Forestry Association, worked on programs around conservation education for all ages. Programs included: the Tree Planting (Railway) Car, Forest Protection Tours, and Conservation in the Classroom.
The Tree Planting Car, a gift from the Canadian Pacific Railway, was moved along the rail lines from community to community by both CP and CN railways free of charge. Regular conservation education programs were held in this unique classroom on wheels, in addition to the distribution of information on conservation and tree planting.
Forest Protection Tours operated in cooperation with each Provincial Forest Service, traveling to remote areas of all three Prairie Provinces. Conservation in the Classroom was a program that extended the Association's conservation work into city schools. All students from grades three and up attended the classes.
The success of these programs is reflected in the number classes and tours and the attendance. Between 1949 and 1969, 3967 educational events were held in Saskatchewan with a total attendance of 416,181.
Over the years, the SFA's message has evolved from conservation and wildfire prevention to an emphasis on improving awareness and understanding of the importance of all aspects of the forest.
Today, SFA's main education program is called Focus on Forests. The program focuses on understanding forests and forest use issues. It provides teachers with prepared lesson plans and teacher-tested activities. Critical thinking, math, scientific concepts, and vocabulary are all emphasized throughout the resource. This Saskatchewan Learning recommended resource is an effective tool for encouraging all types of learners.
In addition to materials, the Focus on Forests program offers three-hour workshops guided by knowledgeable facilitators who provide current information on forest resource management. Each participant receives an activity guide and other complimentary resources, including three activity booklets for students.
The first geared to the youngest students, in grades K-4, is called Forest Adventures. The activity book for grades 5-8 is Lessons from the Ashes: Learning from and Living with Fire. The third is a teen oriented magazine-type booklet called Living Lands: Eco-regions of Saskatchewan. These student activity books are full of puzzles, mazes, and games that get the relevant information across to students in a fun way.
Other programs include the Saskatchewan Forests Poster Challenge, National Forest Week, Trees of Renown, Envirothon, and the annual Friend of the Tree award.
The SFA web site is updated regularly. One public education initiative is a link on the web site to Saskatchewan's Special Trees.
Based on submission by Bernadette Slager