Hands-On Education
The Nebraska Forest Service leads the state by inspiring and assisting others to create and sustain healthy, productive forests.
Our conservation education program helps both formal and non-formal educators, families, and natural resource professionals with resources to educate Nebraskans on conservation concepts and issues. Conservation Education helps people of all ages develop the critical thinking skills they need to understand complex environmental issues and make informed decisions.
On occasion, we can assist you in setting up a visit to a forest in Nebraska with one our district foresters. Submit a request
Tree Trunks Program
Thanks to a new Nebraska Forest Service (NFS) program, teachers can now bring conservation education directly into the classroom. Activity kits—aptly called ‘Tree Trunks’—are available for check-out by local teachers, educators, and the public from Affiliate Education Centers currently being established statewide
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Nebraska Green Schools
Through this program, students and teachers can investigate the environmental impact of their school, develop action plans for improvement and earn badges as they work their way up to achieving Nebraska Green Schools Emerald Status.
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Contact a Facilitator
Facilitators work with the support and guidance of NFS staff to provide locally relevant professional development workshops for
various educator audiences in their region and/or statewide. Workshops are held online, in-person, or are a hybrid between online
and in-person delivery.
Want to bring a professional development workshop to your group or community? Need local assistance with Project Learning Tree or
Project WET activities? Click on the map to find the contact information for a trained facilitator nearest you!
Join a network of like-minded passionate partners to bring quality environmental education professional learning opportunities to educators near you.
Nebraska Project Learning Tree and Project WET facilitators have a background in environmental education and commit to engaging in continuing education on an annual basis to keep up to date on environmental education topics and facilitation skills. New facilitators attend 10-12 hours of training as a part of a structured onboarding process. New facilitators are paired up with an experienced mentor to lead their first workshop and receive ongoing support from NFS Conservation Education staff through their facilitation journey. Contact Jack Hilgert at jack.hilgert@unl.edu for more information
Find a Workshop
See which of our events are happening in your neck of the woods!
Find a Workshop or EventAdditional Resources
Nebraska Statewide Arboretum
We plant Nebraska for healthy people, vibrant communities and a resilient environment.
Project Learning Tree
Activities and resources to engage children in learning about the environment through the lens of trees and forests.
Project WET
Dedicated to solving critical environmental challenges by teaching the world about water.