 Lodi students practice stewardship activities that include removing non-local species from the school district's 40-acre forest. / Photo Credit: Leo Olson
Lodi Students Grow Together With Forest Project
By Bobbie Webster, Bobbie....@wisconsin.gov or 715-209-3747
Media Contact: Leo Olson ols...@lodischoolswi.org
The School District of Lodi is planning an ambitious environmental action at the Lodi School Forest, in celebration of Earth Week and in honor of the school forest.
The Lodi School Forest is one of more than 400 school forests in the state of Wisconsin. School forests are a remarkable educational resource that integrate environmental education into the curriculum, strengthen school-community relations and demonstrate sustainable natural resource management.
The event will bring together every student in the district, from kindergarten through grade 12, to plant a tree in the Lodi School Forest, from April 21-24. It's a fitting week for such an effort, because those dates also encompass Forest Appreciation Week in Wisconsin, as well as Earth Day (April 22) and Arbor Day (April 24).
In total, about 1,400 students will plant trees as a hands-on act of environmental stewardship, solidifying pre-visit curriculum on tree planting methods and the many ways forests and urban trees are vital to our ecology, economy and society.
While many teachers, parents and community volunteers are helping to coordinate the logistics, the event was envisioned and is led by Lodi science teacher Leo Olson. Olson developed the event to give current students the chance to build a connection with the forest and to be part of what was started generations ago by previous students.
“It’s a chance for every young person in our district to leave a living legacy here in their community,” Olson said.
The Lodi School Forest is more than a simple 40-acre tract of woods located a few miles north of the village. It serves as an invaluable outdoor classroom where students explore science, ecology, history and more. The forest functions as an athletic facility for the Lodi High School cross-country team and is used for recreation and land stewardship activities.
The upcoming week of planting comes at an exciting time for the Lodi School Forest, which in recent years has seen a revitalization and increase in attention and use by the district and community. In early 2025, a harvest of red pine and a thinning of white pine and black oak was completed; the openings left by the harvest create a unique opportunity to plant and regenerate the future trees of the forest. Students will reforest an approximately five-acre area with oak, maple, pine, hackberry and sycamore seedlings.
By participating in the Earth Week planting, Lodi students will not only contribute to the ecological health of their school forest, but also develop a personal connection to place, one that school leaders hope will instill a lifelong appreciation for environmental responsibility.
Following the week of student planting, an open house day for community members and families will be held from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, April 25. There will be some extra trees to plant, and visitors will have the opportunity to walk the property and see all the newly planted seedlings.
Lodi School Forest - Forest Appreciation Week 2026
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