Conclusion

One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade.

-- Chinese Proverb

Concluding Remarks

After sifting through articles, clicking through website after website, corresponding with people from environmental learning centers, and taking a step back to reflect on all the resources, programs, happenings, developments, and movements, I have two main impressions:

1. Minnesota has a wealth of opportunity and collaborative enthusiasm for the Minnesota outdoors, environmental and ecological consideration, sustainable development, and progressive reform.
2. While a great capacity for care, collaboration, and change in regard to Minnesota natural resources appears to exist, it is left to be determined the true quality of the relationship between education and forestry, as it struggles with limited funding (on both sides), national trends supporting standards and expert knowledge, and competition with other strong relationships like education and water quality or government agencies and sustainable agriculture.

As discussed above in more detail, the capacity for care, collabroation, and change in Minnesota forest conservation and sustainability through an established relationship between Minnesota K-12 public education and groups devoted to the health and integrity of Minnesota forests is not only expansive, but highly appropriate to meeting the needs of both communities. The next steps include making the dimensions of this capacity known and continuing to tap into the potential.

Further studies may assess and evaluate the complete existance of partnerships and educational initiatives and the outcomes, and also evaluate the quality of existing relationships.

This research has served as a survey of needs and trends within K-12 education and forestry management, opportunities within Minnesota to jointly address those needs, and challenges that stand in the way of collaborating. Ultimately, it is the individual teacher, administrator, forester, naturalist, or non-profit worker who must take the intitiative and reach across the gaps. What this research can conclude is that there is ample opportunitity to make some leaps and there are bridges that have already been built between K-12 public education and Minnesota forestry.

However, many bridges are:

• under construction -- it takes a while to establish working partnerships
• narrow -- not logistically accessible to everyone becasue of location, teacher education, etc.
• perilous and risky -- establishing the bridge may be taking away from "more important" initiatives
• charging a toll -- funding and money always seem to be such an issue
• down the river a mile or two and require bush-wacking to get there (while the mainstream highway bridge is just right here) -- integrating the two sides takes extra time and energy
• being built next to other functioning bridges -- forestry is not the only fish in the sea

This research has proved to be hopeful, because where obstacles and limitations exist, human ingenuity and creativity is ready to take them on. As more and more literature, disciplines, and initiatives are brought into conversations of "place" and "sustainability", there will be more and more collaboration . . . arguments are starting to make too much sense to ignore. In the meantime, Minnesota forestry and education might find it beneficial to focus of strengthening their relationship to serve as an good example of care and change towards sustainability through collaboration.