Welcome to the Grove Community Forest Trail
And Discovery Woods
Evansville Community School District has a registered school forest that includes a trail and prairies that encircles much of the High School and Theodore Robinson campuses.
NOW, the Forest Trail has been chosen to
be part of the National Park Services’ 1200
mile Ice Age Trail.
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Follow the yellow blazes for the trail through the campus and beyond.
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“Teaching children about the natural world should be treated as one of the most important events in their lives." -- Thomas Berry- Dreams of the Earth
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What is a school forest?
A school forest is wooded land registered through the state
school forest program and owned or controlled by a school
and used for environmental and interdisciplinary education
and recreation.
Why have a school forest?
Research has shown that children do not go outdoors as
much as they used to. Our connection to the natural world
is diminishing. A school forest is one way to help students
understand nature by doing outdoor lessons and it gives
teachers one more tool to meet their educational goals in
any discipline.
Research has shown that consistently getting children outdoors
for learning can:
•Increase academic achievement
•Heighten enthusiasm for learning (motivation)
•Decrease discipline
•Improve creativity
•Increase writing expression
•Increase attention
•Relieve symptoms of ADD
•Relieve stress
•Improve reading and math scores on standardized tests
•Increase social skills
•Increase confidence and self-concept
•Increase health
•Improve teacher/student relationships
•Increase interest and concern for the environment
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Benefits of a School Forest and outdoor education
Benefits to Students
•Able to see connections between academic studies and real-life experiences
•Hands-on learning experiences
•Develops skills such as research, communication, problem solving, group work and leadership
•New ways of learning including cooperative, active and service that may be a better way to
learn for some
•Stimulates learning
•Develop observational knowledge of a complex natural environment including natural
relationships and environmental issues
•Develop an interest in the natural world
•Recreation and physical activity in the great outdoors
Benefits to Teachers
•Addresses state and national academic standards
•Able to explore creative teaching methods and techniques
•Observe students in a different context
•Potential for challenging or at-risk students to blossom
•Network of teachers and advisors available to enhance lessons
•Promotes interdisciplinary studies that infuses new life into core academic subjects
•Able to work outdoors
Benefits to School District
•Enhances opportunities for positive interactions with the community
•Offers a space for community recreation and learning
•Offers more educational opportunities for students
Adapted from “How to Grow a School Forest: A Handbook for Wisconsin Educators” produced by
LEAF, Wisconsin Forest Resources Education Alliance and Wisconsin Environmental Education Board.
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History of Grove Community Forest Trail
In the fall of 2007, a group of school district staff met to move forward a plan by the administration to establish a school and community forest trail that would serve as a naturally diverse outdoor classroom and a walking trail for students, staff and the Evansville community.
With the help of staff, a DNR forester, and an ecological landscape designer, a plan was developed that would take an underutilized area of boxelders and choke cherry trees near the site of CCC encampment and turn it into a viable woods complete with typical native Wisconsin trees and shrubs. The concept was expanded to encircle the entire campus of the new high school, creating 3 small prairies, wetland plantings at the retention pond and a trail that could be used by classrooms and the community.
Over 2,300 native Wisconsin trees and shrubs were planted by staff, community volunteers, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and the Lion’s Club. The Lion’s Club and Scouts faithfully watered the plantings for several summers. Now, a small
woods flourishes we call Discovery Woods and beautiful prairies bloom. Birds and animals have returned. Bluebirds can be spotted in the houses put up by the scouts. Wrens and warblers sing. Classes can be seen reading under the
tress; exploring the woods and prairie for their lessons. The school forest spawned the creation of the Nature Center and the popular Outdoor Days.
In 2024, after years of planning, the National Park Service requested that our School Forest Trail become part of the nationally recognized Ice Age Trail. This is quite an honor.
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Clicking on these images will display the photo and photo caption before these images
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View toward TRIS parking lot in 2008
Planting school forest in 2008 looking South
Planting berm near High School in 2008
School Forest Trail Booth
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Native Wisconsin Trees Planted
Butternut Bur Oak
Black Cherry Shagbark Hickory
Sugar Maple Basswood
Red Oak Black Walnut
White Oak American Hazelnut
Swamp White Oak Ironwood
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Native Wisconsin Shrubs Planted
Serviceberry
Red Osier Dogwood
American Plum
Silky Dogwood
Hawthorn
Ninebark
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Native Wisconsin Prairie Plants Established
Showy Goldenrod Solidago speciosa
Stiff Goldenrod Solidago rigida
Missouri Goldenrod Solidago missouriensis
Giant Yellow Hyssop Agastache nepetoides
Compassplant Silphium laciniatum
Rosinweed Silphium integrifolium
Prairie Dock Silphium terebinthinaceum
Cupplant Silphium perfoliatum
False Boneset Kuhnia eupatoriodes
Rattlesnake Master Eryngium yuccafolium
Showy Sunflower Helianthus laetiflorus
Sawtooth Sunflower Helianthus grosseratus
Hoary Vervain Verbena stricta
Evening Primrose Oenothera biennis
Prairie Cinquefoil Potentilla arguta
Pale Purple Coneflower Echinacea pallida
Smooth Penstemon Penstemon digitalis
White Wild Indigo Baptisia leucantha
Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum virginianum
Yarrow Achillea millefolium
Thimbleweed Anemone cylindrica
Culvers Root Veronicastrum virginicum
Heath Aster Aster ericoides
Indian Plantain Cacalia tuberosa
Yellow Coneflower Ratibida pinnata
Ironweed Vernonia fasciculata
Spiderwort Tradescantia ohiensis
Golden Alexanders Zizia aurea
Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca
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Kindergarteners throwing mudballs they made filled with forbs to help plant the prairie.
Native Wisconsin Prairie Grasses Planted
Little Bluestem Andropogon scoparius
Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardi
Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans
Canada Wild rye Elymus canadensis
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Eagle Scout Projects completed at School Forest Site:
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Improvement Goals-A work in progress:
To improve the current outdoor space by:
-creating definable trails.
-maintain boy scout projects.
-better interpretive, educational and historical signs.
-eliminate invasive and undesirable plant species.
-improve prairies with proper burns and planting.
An improved trail has been expanded with the help of a grant by Extreme Terrain Clean Trail
Project and Evansville Education Fund. Local businesses like Formecology, Pleasant Prairie
Greenhouses, Agrecol, and Mallon Tree Service have been essential to the completion of the
project over the years. Groups like the Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Girl Scouts, Lion’s Club and
many local volunteers and teachers continue to work hard at providing a space for recreation and
outdoor learning for our entire community.
“For in the end, we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.”
- Baba Dioum, conservationist, Senegal
“The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.”
- Dorothy Parker
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| LEAF |
| LEAF (UW-Stevens Point, download free curriculums) |
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