Grey Towers National Historic Site

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Conservation Education Programs:

At Grey Towers National Historic Site we have always felt the need to educate local students about the importance of this area in relation to the history of forestry in America. Gifford Pinchot, the first forester in America and the first Chief of the US Forest Service not only influenced forestry in the late 19th and early 20th century, but his influence can still be seen and experienced today.

We are proud to be able to offer this program completely free of charge including all transportation costs.

A Day in the Life of a Yale Forestry Student -

A program about forestry techniques and history.

Sponsored by the US Forest Service at Grey Towers

The Pinchot Institute for Conservation, and

The Milford Experimental Forest

A Program for Highschool Students

Overview of the program:

The purpose of this program is to introduce students to the basic skills used by foresters in an outdoor environment. The site chosen for instruction has historical significance in that it served as a classroom for students training in the Yale School of Forestry 100 years ago. Students will be introduced to and practice skill foresters use to estimate tree diameter, height, age, board feet, dendrology, silviculture, and increment boring - training forestry students today and a century ago are and were exposed to. Overviews on the importance and challenges of forest management may also be given.

Background Information:

The Yale School of Forestry was created with the help of a large donation from the Pinchot family in 1900, as part of the gift the students were invited to spend part of their summer here at Grey Towers at the Yale Summer School of Forestry Camp where your students can visit and participate in forestry practices the students 100 years ago also experienced. This program is designed not only to teach the students of the history of this area of Pennyslvania in relation to the conservation movement, but also to give them actual field experience in forestry.

This program was funded by 2 grants which were awarded to the Pinchot Institute for Conservation. One grant was from the Wayne Bank, and the other was from the Dime Bank.

With the help of Grey Towers staff, the US Forest Service, the Milford Experimental Forest, the Pinchot Family, and the Pinchot Institute for Conservation we now have students on the historic Yale Summer School of Forestry Camp for the first time since 1927.

For additional information on environmental education programs please contact:

Lori McKean
Grey Towers National Historic Site
P.O. Box 188
Milford, PA 18337
(570) 296-9672

lmckean@fs.fed.us

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