A Legacy in the Woods: How Lodi Students are Reclaiming Their School Forest

On a warm spring day, under a shining sun and light breeze, the woods outside of Lodi, WI were alive with joyful shouts. About 100 kindergarten students from Lodi Elementary gathered for directions on the day’s primary activity. Each kindergarten student, along with every other student in the district of Lodi, planted a tree at Lodi’s School Forest as part of a week-long Arbor Day celebration, alongside teachers, parent chaperones, WI Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff, and local volunteers. At the center of the action was Paula Tonn, Lodi Middle and High School Library Media Specialist, a 2025-26 Grants in Place Awardee. Each year, RSC’s Grants in Place program awards educators across the country with Place-Based Education grants to conduct projects that connect students and communities.

Paula and her team at Lodi applied for Grants in Place this year to continue their school forest revitalization work, which has gained significant momentum over the past several years. While the school forest has been with Lodi for nearly a century, it had been little-used outside of cross country practice, not featuring much into curriculum or enriching lessons. Paula recalls that “This particular parcel was donated in 1936. We had Lodi FFA students plant trees by hand. In the 1950s and 60s, they grew up, and then… we just had turnover in our ag teacher position. Because of that, we lost a lot of institutional knowledge about the forest… there wasn't any sign [marking its location or existence]. There was nothing.”

Things changed about five years ago when interested teachers formed a committee to make better use of the school forest. “We got in touch with our DNR forester. They came out, they walked the land with us. We removed invasive species. This has been about five years in the making of us having a really strong school forest committee that was paying attention to forest health and coordinating with loggers and DNR foresters, a curriculum committee that was coming out there. Our goal is that every kid in Lodi is going to visit the school forest every year.” Paula led the charge in securing a RSC Grants in Place award in 2023 to install a portable toilet and school sign at the school forest, making trips with students much more accessible than previously. 

The portable toilet allowed for longer visits with more students, and in conjunction with assistance from the DNR, Lodi conducted a timber harvest on the property. The lumber harvest generated over $30,000, which enabled the school forest committee to build a large parking lot for buses to safely drop off, turn around  and pick up students at the forest – a game-changer for accessibility. For Paula, the progression encapsulates how a small grant can snowball a big change for rural schools: “And really, the first RSC grant helped pay for the rental of the port-a-potty and the sign, which seems really small– but it was just huge, because we were not on anybody's budget radar at all [before that].” 

With this year’s support, Paula and the Lodi team are investing in a large bell, which they can ring to recall students to the parking lot in the event of severe weather or to signal the end of a lesson, and a kiosk to further engage visiting parties with the history and use of the forest. And the grant reflects an increased investment in the school from community partners, such as parents, the WI DNR, and the local Ice Age Trail chapter, who all came together to support students in planting a tree at the forest. (To learn more about Wisconsin’s School Forest initiatives, see here.)

For one of those parents, Patrick, this was only his second time visiting the property. He described events like this as a golden opportunity for students and parents alike: “I think getting outside and being in the outdoors is important for all children and adults, and this was a great opportunity for me to spend some time with my son's class and do a good deed for Mother Earth.” Under his supervision, Patrick’s son and three other kindergarten students chose a location for their trees, measured for proper spacing, and planted their saplings. Each student brought their own water bottle for the event, and gave their new tree a bit of their water to help it get established.

Patrick plans to come back out more frequently, both for the time outside and so his son can check on the tree he planted. For Paula, forging a tangible and lasting relationship between students, families, and Lodi school is part of the long-term vision for the school forest. She shares that “it's just getting them comfortable, getting them out here and doing it. Yes, we want people to be out here! We want people to know where it is. We want kids to ask about it. We want kids to be like, ‘I'm gonna go see my tree!’” 

When they do come back, Paula and the team have plans to keep improving the experience at the school forest. They hope future support can lead to the construction of an open-sided pavilion, a shed, a well for running water– and yes, a permanent pit toilet. For Paula, the school forest can be a thread that connects generations of Lodi citizens, and planting a tree both allows students to look back and forward. She recalls that some of the trees that FFA students planted decades ago are “going to be turned into benches, reiterating that you're part of a story, because you're part of a community. So this is special for you as an individual today, because this is your tree, but it's extra cool because you're doing it all together, and you're part of this legacy of Lodi people.”

Rural Schools Collaborative would like to thank Paula Tonn, Leo Olson, and the rest of the Lodi team for welcoming our team out to join in on their Earth Day celebration.