Cities, St. Michael-Albertville School District Could Team With DNR on Forest Project

A cooperation between St. Michael-Albertville schools, city government, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources could mean a hands-on learning experience for school kids throughout the community. 

St. Michael Middle School East teacher Paul Jeffery approached the St. Michael-Albertville School Board and Albertville and St. Michael city councils at Monday night’s joint meeting about a Minnesota DNR program he has been researching.

The program would include both cities and the school district to work together to provide a school forest. “Before we look into other forest areas in the area we would start with the Big Woods area across the street from Middle School East.” Jeffery said as he shared about the project.

Without knowing how much paperwork and additional time is needed, it is more practical to start one piece, or forest, at a time.

 The project would be at no cost to the school district and would be a benefit both in the classroom and also because of the possibility of other grants that teachers using the forest would be able to apply for.

St. Michael Mayor, Jerry Zachman asked the group if there was any consensus and all attendees were welcome to taking the next steps on this project.

St. Michael/Albertville Superintendent Dr. Marcia Ziegler explained that “having a school forest would only be positive as it would allow for more DNR interaction in both our community and our schools.”

Jeffery will move forward with the school board approval along with both the cities of Albertville and St. Michael and continue working with his representative at the DNR offices. Formal action will come later but in the meantime he hopes to build a district wide committee of teachers from all the buildings.