About Us

Australian forests play a vital role in the provision of forest and wood products and environmental services for society. They deliver timber to produce renewable goods that many of us utilise on a daily basis, provide habitats for biodiversity and recreational spaces, and provide employment opportunities through active management operations that help sustain rural communities. Importantly forests help protect water quality through stabilising soils, and help combat global carbon emissions and air pollution through storing carbon in trees and wood products.

The mission of this web-site is to serve school teachers and educators, children, and the public with information on Australian forests and forest-based products, and provision and access to forestry teaching resources. It is further supported by links to key government and industry organisations and educational service providers.

Activities, resources and ideas are provided for teachers to integrate forest education into their teaching programs across a range of key learning areas linked to national and state curriculum's including science, technology, history, geography and mathematics.

The site has been built and is maintained by a network of forest educators and forestry communication specialists across Australia known as the Australian Forest Education Alliance (AFEA) and includes members from:

• Australian Forest Products Association
• Forests NSW
• Forest Education Foundation, Tasmania
• Forest and Wood Products Australia
• Primary Industries and Resources South Australia, Forestry
• Sustainable Forestry Program, Southern Cross University, NSW
• Forest Products Commission, WA
• VicForests

The group collaborates with the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) to ensure that the resources provided here fit within the national school’s curriculum and support delivery through state and territory school syllabi.

Special acknowledgement for content contributions:

Dr Andrea Leys, Academic Adjunct Fellow, School of Environmental Science and Management, Southern Cross University

Ms. Moira Close, Education Officer, PIRSA Forestry

Mr Peter Beatty, Forest Products Commission, Western Australia.

Mr Darcy Vickers, Forest Education Foundation, Tasmania

Ms Sarah Langley, Forest Education Foundation, Tasmania

Ms Joanna Bodley, Forests NSW

Ms Amanda Clark, VicForests

Web site management and communications

Ms Melissa Houghton, Director, Sustainability at Work

Mr Greg Haraldson, Communications Manager, Australian Forest Products Association

Photographs

Innaburra High School

North Ryde Public School

Forestry SA

Dr David Newell & Dr Andrea Leys, School of Environmental Science and Management, Southern Cross University