UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- A New Penn State Cooperative Extension Publication For Youths -- American Chestnut, The Latest In The From The Woods Series On Pennsylvania's Natural Resources -- Aims To Dispel Misconceptions About What Was Once The Keystone State's Most Prominent Forest Tree.

"We hear inaccurate things all the time such as, 'The American chestnut is an extinct species,' or, 'Our American chestnuts were all cut down by loggers a long time ago,'" says Sanford Smith, an extension specialist in natural resources and youth education with Penn State's School of Forest Resources. "If we can teach kids to better understand our natural resources, they’ll grow up to be better citizens with respect for and understanding of the state's natural landscapes and ecosystems."

The From the Woods series, targeted at 13- to 18-year-olds, includes 12 full-color photographic fliers with easy-to-read text on topics specifically tailored to Pennsylvania forests. Topics include maple syrup, hardwood lumber, 10 important trees, forest stewardship, sustainable forestry, hardwood veneer, harvesting trees, white-tailed deer, watersheds, paper, incredible wood and the latest, American chestnut.

Each of the fliers can be used in formal and nonformal educational settings, such as schools, environmental centers, parks, maple festivals, 4-H clubs and scout groups. They can be used separately or as a group. "Adults enjoy these easy-to-read publications as well as youth," says Smith. "The chestnut flier tells the story of the American chestnut and discusses the current research and future hopes for its return. Printing and development costs were provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's Hardwoods Development Council."

Each flier is available on the Web, along with a lesson plan and a pair of pre/post test quizzes for use by educators. Single copies of the fliers also are available free of charge from county Penn State Cooperative Extension offices or from the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Distribution Center (call 814-865-6713). To preview or print any of the From The Woods publications and the associated lesson plans and quizzes, visit http://sftrc.cas.psu.edu/FromWoods.html.

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