The Gila Conservation Education Program is a dynamic way for the Forest Service to connect students in the Gila area with their environment. The Forest Service provides the tools students need to participate effectively in the critical task of sustaining the Gila's natural and cultural resources. This understanding is a coordinated, forest-wide effort that affects all aspects of the agency's operations.
Forest Service resource specialists, outside conservation groups and land stakeholders are coming together to bring natural resource conservation into the schools and to facilitate the teaching of conservation content standards in the schools. Students benefit from knowledge of National Forests and the GNF itself will benefit greatly with a more enlightened citizenry.
In recent years the public schools have had to focus more and more on raising standardized test scores, and our districts are looking for ways to accomplish this. The Silver Consolidated School district has acknowledged that conservation education may be a way to do this. They have put $10,000 into this program!
Silver City/Grant County Chamber of Commerce
