Forestry Educators Retreat
Teach the Teachers
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Northwest Conservation District, Great Mountain Forest, and UConn 4-H are pleased to invite you to join us at the
Forestry Educatiors Retreat:
Forestry Educatiors Retreat:
Teach the Teachers
Teach the Teachers
at the Yale Camp in Great Mountain Forest
August 14-16, 2026
The goal of this retreat is to have teachers of all types (public school, 4-H programs, nonformal educators, etc.) work with industry professionals that will be sharing their knowledge of forests and forest management in New England. This will increase instructor confidence in their knowledge and ability of teaching students of all ages and abilities forestry concepts in their curriculum. Activity based workshops will address the needs of all types of classroom experiences. Sessions are designed to both raise the scientific rigor of agricultural courses and provide middle, high, and postsecondary educators with new technologies and resources for their classrooms.
A three-day retreat of talks, activities, and workshops!
A three-day retreat of talks, activities, and workshops!
Friday
Friday begins with registration, lunch, and a welcome to Great Mountain Forest, followed by a curriculum-focused workshop, a keynote by Ethan Tapper, author of How to Love a Forest, and an evening dinner and campfire.
Saturday
Saturday
Saturday’s program begins with breakfast, followed by a goal‑writing session to help participants set intentions for the day and beyond. The morning continues with field-based learning followed up with a collaborative workshop focused on incorporating the day’s content into curriculum and educational practice. A special guest joins us for dinner and the evening wraps up with a bonfire.
Sunday
Sunday begins with breakfast, followed by a vendor and networking fair that provides opportunities to connect with partners and explore available resources. Participants will then take part in workshops focused on forestry curriculum and classroom applications. The program concludes with departure from camp before lunch.
The goal of this event is to bring forestry professionals and educators together to enhance forestry education.
The goal of this event is to bring forestry professionals and educators together to enhance forestry education.
The Speakers
The Speakers
Keynote Speaker
Keynote Speaker
Ethan Tapper
Ethan Tapper
Ethan Tapper is a forester, digital storyteller, and the bestselling author of How to Love a Forest: The Bittersweet Work of Tending a Changing World. For more than a decade, Ethan has been recognized as a thought-leader in the world of ecosystem stewardship, winning numerous regional and national awards for his work. More recently, he has been recognized as a writer – since its publication in 2024, How to Love a Forest has been named the winner of the 2025 New England Book Award for nonfiction, and received international acclaim.
Ethan’s message of relationship, responsibility and hope reaches millions of people each year through his writing, social media channels with hundreds of thousands of followers, and the hundreds of walks, talks and keynotes that he delivers across North America each year.
Ethan works, writes, hunts, birds and runs a small consulting forestry business from his home at Bear Island – his 175-acre working forest, homestead, orchard and sugarbush in Vermont – and plays in his punk band, The Bubs.
Workshop Presenters
Workshop Presenters
Audra Leach
Audra Leach
Northwest Conservation District
Emily Picard
Emily Picard
UConn 4-H, Fairfield County
Mike Zarfos
Mike Zarfos
Great Mountain Forest
Halie Shea
Halie Shea
UConn 4-H, New Haven County
Kate Regan-Loomis
Kate Regan-Loomis
Great Mountain Forest
Jody Bronson
Jody Bronson
Great Mountain Forest
Star Childs
Star Childs
Great Mountain Forest
Larry Rousseau
Larry Rousseau
Connecticut DEEP Forestry, Emeritus
Beth Bernard
Beth Bernard
Connecticut DEEP Forestry Division
Kelsey Sudol
Kelsey Sudol
Northwest Conservation District
Amelia Magistrali, PhD
Amelia Magistrali, PhD
UConn Extension
Mayra Rodríguez González, PhD
Mayra Rodríguez González, PhD
UConn Extension
and more!
and more!
The Venue
The Venue
Yale Camp at Great Mountain Forest
Yale Camp at Great Mountain Forest
209 Chattleton Rd, Norfolk, CT 06058
Conference Pricing
Conference Pricing
Really
Really
Early Bird Registration: $400
Early Bird Registration: $400
Register online by March 15.
Payment due before May 15.
Early Bird Registration: $450
Early Bird Registration: $450
Register online between March 16 and May 1.
Payment due before May 15.
Normal Registration: $500
Normal Registration: $500
Register online after May 1.
Payment due before May 15.
Payment Policy
Payment Policy
Payment for participation in the Teach the Teachers Retreat is due by May 15th, 2025.
Registrations without payment in full by May 15 will lose all early discounts and be responsible for the regular registration rate as listed above.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellation Policy
Should you need to cancel your registration, our policy is:
$100 Cancellation fee 31-days from the start date.
$300 cancellation fee incurred for cancellations within 30 to 15 days from the start date.
Full payment is still due and no refunds will be given for cancellations within 14-days of the conference.
No Show Policy
No Show Policy
Those who register for our conference but do not attend, will still be responsible for their full conference payment.
The conference will not guarantee materials or resources to individuals who no-show for the event.
Sponsors
Sponsors
Union Savings Bank
Northwest Community Bank Foundation
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