Welcome!

On these pages you can view the table of contents and short descriptions of the lesson plans that make up the Nontimber Forest Product Curriculum Workbook.  Please explore and let us know if you are interested in using the curriculum in your classroom and workshops.  The full publication will be available soon.

Workbook Overview

Nontimber forest products (NTFPs), such as wild foods, medicinal plants and floral greens, are often overlooked in natural resource management and policy, despite their widespread presence and use.  However, increasing attention to ecosystem management, the conservation of biological diversity, sustainable forestry, and economic diversification in rural communities has meant a growing interest in nontimber forest products.  Universities, extension programs and professional continuing education programs are now seeking to include information regarding the complex issues surrounding NTFP management in their curricula. 
 
In response, the Institute for Culture and Ecology has developed a NTFP Curriculum Workbook.  The workbook is a set of over 100 lesson plans (format outlined below), handouts, and homework assignments that provide college students, managers, scientists, and extension agents with an opportunity to learn about the ecological, cultural, political and economic importance of NTFPs.  Due to the interdisciplinary nature of forest management, the workbook is relevant to students and professionals from a wide range of disciplines- including forestry, environmental studies, ecology, anthropology, economics, political science, and history.  The geographic focus of the workbook is on the United States, although the exercises can easily be adapted to scale-up to the international arena or to scale-down to focus on species and issues of regional or local importance. 
 
The workbook consists of seven modules – each including detailed lessons plans, activities, evaluation tools, and ready-to-use teaching aids, such as PowerPoint presentations and handouts.  Each module has a specific disciplinary orientation (history, culture, economics, ecology, policy) to facilitate easy adoption within those different disciplines.  The curriculum encourages critical thinking about NTFP issues and their relationship to overall forest health, sustainability and biodiversity conservation.  This is accomplished through interactive classroom and field activities.  Both theoretical frameworks and research methods are introduced and there is an emphasis on building effective communication and collaboration skills. 
 
Faculty are encouraged to integrate individual lesson plans into their existing courses or use the workbook materials as the foundation for a new course or workshop.  In addition, the Institute for Culture and Ecology is available to facilitate a set of workshops and courses based on the materials (see www.ifcae.org for more information). 
 
This project was funded by the National Commission on Science for Sustainable Forestry.  The NTFP Curriculum Workbook contributes directly to their mission of improving the scientific basis for U.S. sustainable forestry practices by providing critically needed educational materials designed to give current and future natural resource managers the capacity to manage forest lands for greater biodiversity.
 

Lesson Plan Format