Discussion to focus on educating children
about the environment

The Yale Forest Forum, sponsored by the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (F&ES), will host a panel discussion titled "In the Hands of Children: Managing Forests, Society and Ourselves through Environmental Education," on Friday, Dec. 11, 4-6 p.m. in Bowers Auditorium of Sage Hall, 205 Prospect St. A reception will follow the discussion, which is free and open to the public.

The panel brings together leaders in education and forestry, each with a unique perspective on the environmental movement and on the potential for involving children in community development and forest management projects.

"Children nationally and internationally are investigating, designing, monitoring and managing their surroundings through innovative environmental programs," says Roger Hart, director of the Children's Environments Research Group at the City University of New York and editor of the journal Children's Environments.

"Children who genuinely contribute to the shared understanding and management of their environments develop a strong sense of their capacity to affect change. They provide what is perhaps our most vital message of hope for a sustainable future," says Hart, who will present the keynote address.

Hart has worked extensively with UNICEF on children's environmental education and currently serves on the boards of the American Horticultural Society, the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, and Hasbro Children's Foundation, among others.

The panel, which will also include representatives from environmental education and action groups, will be moderated by Chris Myers, editor-in-chief of Dragonfly, a national magazine for young environmental investigators, and a visiting associate professor of environmental education at F&ES.

For more information, contact program director Keri Gibson, by phone at 432-5117, or by e-mail at www.yale.edu/yff.