Prickly Ponderosa

Kindergarten - 5th Grade Lessons

How Do Wild Fires Start?

Students will learn the importance of building a proper campfire while camping. What can happen if the campfire is not properly set up, and how a forest could burn if not properly taken care of? 

Tree Cookies 

Students learn about tree rings and how a tree grows wider each year. 

K - 2nd Grade Lessons

3rd- 5th Grade Lessons

Literacy Connections 

K - 2 Liturature 

• “Tell Me, Tree: All About Trees for Kids” by Gail Gibbons

This book explains different types of trees, their growth, and tree rings, making it a perfect match for understanding tree rings in the Tree Cookies lesson.

• “A Tree Is a Plant” by Clyde Robert Bulla

This book simplifies the tree life cycle and growth, aligning with the Tree Cookies lesson by helping kids understand how to interpret tree rings.

• “Forest Friends: A Story of the Forest Ecosystem” by Lauren Mills

This book introduces the plants and animals in a forest and their roles, aligning with the lesson on wildfires by showing the importance of a healthy forest ecosystem.

Art Projects 

Local Contacts 

US Forest Service Contact

 Lisa Grant 

• • • 541-589-3511

    • lisa.grant@usda.gov

  • https://www.fs.usda.gov/learn/educators 

Career Spotlight

Lisa Grant

Supervisory Rangeland Management Specialist

USFS- Malheur National Forest, Emigrant Creek Ranger District

Quote: “You get to work with a lot of different people with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. A big part of public lands range management is having a good understanding and ability to communicate well.” 

After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture with an option in Wildland and Range Science from California State University, Chico, Lisa was hired in a Recent Graduate position in the Range Program at the Burns District BLM. She worked for the Burns BLM in various resource management positions (e.g. range, riparian, wild horse, and burro) for 18 years, then moved to the Forest Service to work in Range about 2 years ago. 

The district manages activities and resources in the southern portion of the Malheur National Forest within the Emigrant Creek Ranger District.  The range program administers 30 livestock grazing permits across 33 different grazing allotments. A main goal is to achieve annual livestock use standards across allotments to maintain or improve riparian and upland conditions. Another goal is to continue improving communication and relationships between USFS staff and grazing permit holders who count on Forest Service managed land as a vital part of their livestock operation.