Improving Forest Health through Education with Texas Forest Literacy Plan

Forest Literacy

Forest Literacy refers to the body of knowledge and skills surrounding forest concepts. The main goal of the Texas Forest Literacy Plan is that Texans understand and appreciate the importance of forests and how they can help to sustain them.

Every Texan is responsible for this land, its forests, and related natural resources. By becoming forest literate, Texans can ensure the state is adequately prepared to protect and enhance the long-term sustainability of vital resources.

As it stands today, the Texas population lacks a fundamental understanding and appreciation for forests, and current institutions are unsuccessful in supplying them with the knowledge and skills required to ensure that the future of these resources is healthy and sustainable. Forest literacy deficiencies influence all aspects of our society, including the decision to actively manage land and in policy making.

A Framework You Can Follow

The Texas Forest Literacy Plan sets the standard in conservation and environmental education about forests in Texas, outlining all of the essential knowledge of forest topics and themes that the public must have in order to ensure that the resource remains healthy and sustainable. The framework for the plan answers the following questions:

• What is a forest?
• Why are forests important?
• How do we manage forests?
• What’s the public’s responsibility toward forests?

Visit the Texas A&M Forest Service website for more information, and to research how to incorporate Forest Literacy into your community.