4-H Million Trees Project 

Thank you for deciding to be a part of the 4-H Million Trees Project. This Web site provides you with a wealth of information and educational ideas to help youth understand tree growth, tree maintenance and care, and planting the "right tree in the right place" – all important concepts for planting trees. The School of Forest Resources and Conservation at the University of Florida has selected resources we think will be beneficial to you as you lead 4-H Youth through the project.

Register

Please download and complete this registration form for the project. Please register in both the National and Florida 4-H Million Trees Programs.

Florida Registration Form [Download]

National Registration Form [Link, once at the web site, select Registration from the Left-hand column]

PLT in Florida—Activities

Project Learning Tree® (PLT) in Florida is an extension program through IFAS. PLT stimulates youth’s critical and creative thinking; develops their ability to make informed decisions on environmental issues; and instills a commitment of responsible action on behalf of the environment. It is a highly acclaimed national environmental education program that IFAS makes available to 4H volunteers.

PLT uses trees and forests as the context to help young people gain an awareness and knowledge of natural and built environments. The manual contains 96 multidisciplinary activities grouped by theme, storyline, and subject matter. Many of the activities physically engage youth in exploring the outdoors or concepts related to ecosystem functions. Here are two activities from the Guide that you may wish to use in your tree planting project.

  • Plant a Tree, Activity #31

    • 4-H Youth will identify ways people and wildlife benefit from trees and identify locations in the community that could include more trees. Steps on organizing and executing a club tree-planting project are included.

  • Every Tree for Itself, Activity #27

    • Try this active simulation to give your 4-H Youth an understanding of the conditions that trees need to live and grow and to help your students learn that trees often must compete for their needs.

Information about obtaining the PLT Environmental Education Activity Guide with all 96 activities can be found at http://sfrc.ufl.edu/plt/.

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Urban Forest Supplement to PLT

This companion guide to the Project Learning Tree (PLT) program helps youth see their communities’ urban forests as significant, valuable, and worth sustaining. It is based on three themes: urban forest ecology, benefits of an urban forest, and strategies for improving an urban forest. Each activity includes background information and correlations to the Florida Sunshine State Standards.

[Link to supplement]

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PLT Family Activities

National PLT has assembled a collection of 1-page activities for families to use in the outdoors. These are short activities you can do at your meetings.

[Link to activities]

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Give Forests a Hand

  • Youth Guide

    This community service learning program engages groups of youth in explorations and action projects based on trees and forests. The Youth Guide is a project book that leads youth through a process of problem identification, searching for more information, prioritizing activities, selecting a project, planning that project, carrying out the action, and finally celebrating success. The booklet includes four surveys for different types of forests: school forests, community forests, neighborhood trees, and rural forests. Each survey guides youth toward potential questions, concerns, and opportunities for action projects. Reflection questions at each step of the process help youth think about the skills they are building and the information they are learning. This resource helps create an educational program out of community projects like tree plantings, urban forest inventory, insect or disease monitoring, and outreach activities to raise public awareness. A Spanish version is also available.

  • Leader Guide

    The Leader Guide accompanies the Youth Guide with background and facilitation advice for adult volunteers and educators so they can help youth identify, plan, and conduct an action project. Ideas for using PLT activities are included. In addition to background on each step, it includes an activity bank and a list of resources that can assist in undertaking an action project. Reflection questions at each step help leaders contemplate what is working and what could be changed to facilitate the process. A Spanish version is also available.

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4-H Forestry Project Books

  • Forest Resources Leader Guide

    This 64-page Leader Guide to the three Florida 4-H Forest Resources Project Books—Adopt a Tree, Trees and Me, and Florida's Fabulous Forests, provides background information, suggested responses for the discussion questions, and tips on how to assist youth with each activity. Correlations to PLT activities and answers to questions in the three project books are provided.

  • Adopt a Tree

    This project book engages children ages 5-8 in an exploration of Florida trees and forests. Youth locate and "adopt" a nearby tree, observe changes to the tree over time, do bark and leaf rubbings, and search for visiting wildlife. Youngsters are also introduced to three common and special Florida trees: cabbage palm, live oak, and longleaf pine.

  • Trees and Me

    This publication for children ages 9-11, encourages a closer examination of trees. Youth learn basic tree physiology, identify 18 common Florida trees in our eight forest ecosystems, and focus on the many benefits and values of trees, from wooden houses and carpet, to restful and pleasing outdoor spaces.

  • Florida's Fabulous Forests

    The project book is designed for youth ages 12-18. Activities lead youth to explore 10 different kinds of forests in Florida; understand forest management issues such as prescribed fire, invasive exotics, and forest diseases; and examine forest systems (wildlife, water, and soil).

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EDIS Fact Sheets

Florida focused fact sheets written by University of Florida faculty and staff are available free of charge through the EDIS (the Electronic Data Information Source of UF/IFAS Extension) Web site. Select the topic of interest and you will go to a web site listing a number of fact sheets or subtopics on that theme.

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Contact Florida PLT

  • Nancy Peterson, Florida PLT Coordinator
    School of Forest Resources and Conservation
    University of Florida/IFAS
    P.O. Box 110410
    Gainesville, FL 32611-0831
  • Phone: (352) 846-0848
    Email: njp@ufl.edu
  • Dr. Martha Monroe, Professor
    Natural Resources Education and Extension
    School of Forest Resources and Conservation
    PO BOX 110410
    Gainesville, FL 32611-0410
  • Phone: (352) 846-0878
    Email: mcmonroe@ufl.edu

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4H Youth planting trees

General Resources