ADVISORY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
February 28, 2008

The Land Between The Lakes (LBL) Advisory Board convened at 9:00 a.m. at the Administrative Building, Land Between The Lakes in Golden Pond, Kentucky. The meeting was open to the public.

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:
Pat Brandon
Ben Helen Burkeen
Terry Calhoun
Bobby Cassity (Alternate)
Ed Clebsch
Mark Cramer
James Ford
Ron Fox (Alternate)
Della Oliver (Alternate)
David Smith
Ben Stone
Jim Wallace
Marvin Wilson

ADVISORY BOARD STAFF PRESENT:
Mr. Tom Peterson, Advisory Board Chairperson
Mr. Bill Lisowsky, Designated Federal Official (DFO)
Mr. Jared Baker, Facilitator
Ms. Sharon Byers, Advisory Board Administrative Liaison

*NOTE: FS comments/replies are noted in italics following member's comments or questions.

Three members of the public and six Forest Service (FS) employees attended this meeting.

Tom Peterson opened the meeting, welcomed everyone attending, and introduced Keith Lannom, Acting Area Supervisor, and the new Advisory Board facilitator, Jared Baker. Jared is from the local area and currently works as the Facility Manager at Hillman Ferry Campground. Jared is very interested in the issues the board will be discussing and has previous experience in environmental education (EE). Jared has a master's degree in EE and a bachelor's degree in Wildlife and Fisheries from Murray State University, as well as an MBA from Samford. After introductions of everyone attending this meeting, Jared briefly went over the agenda, outlining the two missions of the board, which are to provide advice to the Secretary on environmental education and a means of promoting public participation for the Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP).

Tom gave a special welcome to Dr. Terry Calhoun, attending his first meeting as a member of the Advisory Board. Tom presented Terry with a certificate of appreciation and an LBL Advisory Board padfolio containing information about the board.

Tom reminded the members that during their last meeting they finalized their strategic plan for EE at LBL. Today they move to the next step and will discuss one of the items from their strategic plan - building relationships with school systems and community groups within useable distance from LBL. Six educators from areas surrounding LBL were invited to participate in a panel discussion on stimulating school groups. Tom thanked this group for taking the time to attend.

Before beginning the discussion, Jared asked the panel members to introduce themselves to the board.

Mike Gowen is from Murray State University. He doesn't think EE must only be taught in the classroom. He often deals with the non-formal aspect of education, getting kids out of the classroom; however, he does think it's necessary that what is taught out of doors be complimentary to formal education. Mike said learning in the out of doors strengthens formal education because it makes it real. He noted there is a deep cultural heritage at LBL and said being in an historical place gives individuals a perspective of being a part of something bigger.

Janet Caldwell is the Principal at Murray Elementary School. Janet said there are policies they must follow to determine what field trips students take. Field trips are valuable as an extension of the classroom, but finances impact what a school can do. Part of her job is to ensure funding for field trips is spent in the best way. In addition to other field trip expenses, it now costs about $1.00 per mile to use a bus for a field trip and about $15.00 per hour for the driver.

Brian Harper is the Principal at Hendron-Lone Oak Elementary School in Paducah. They take trips to LBL with kindergarten and first grade, but their big trip is for the fourth grade to visit Brandon. Brian has a role in raising money so everyone has the opportunity to go on this trip. He also plans the trip including medical support and chaperones.

Barbara Vick is the Asst Superintendent of Curriculum for McCracken County. She coordinates curriculum and professional development activities. They have used LBL for school trips for many years; cost is a very big factor. It's also necessary to ensure the curriculum is in line with state requirements.

Beth Sumner is the Curriculum Coordinator for Trigg County. She coordinates the curriculum and ensures teachers are aware of what's available at LBL. Although many teachers in Trigg County are native to the area, there are several teachers who have moved here from other locations.

Sallie Armstrong is the Curriculum Director for Clarksville. She said the relationship of the required curriculum to field trips has become very important. She commented that information about LBL is not reaching her schools. Sallie personally visits LBL frequently.

Jared opened the discussion on stimulating school groups by asking the panel to provide their thoughts on the following three questions. Comments from the panel follow each question.

• Do you agree with the tenant that an outdoor experience is beneficial to your students' formal education, why or why not, and if you know someone who feels differently, do you know why?
  • Educators fully believe experiences at LBL are beneficial. They understand there is a connection between the hands-on aspect of visiting LBL and how it can impact a student's learning.
  • Since trips to Brandon began, science scores have gone up.
  • Field trips must have a direct connection to the curriculum. If teachers can't make the connection, they let go of the field trip and the number has fallen.
  • Educating the school staff is a key factor.
  • Building relationships is an indirect benefit of overnight stays.
  • Children need to be exposed or they'll lose the interest.
  • As a result of No Child Left Behind, field trips are sometimes hard to justify because instructional days are lost. Teachers are reluctant to spend time on a bus.

To summarize, Jared said the panel's comments seem to indicate they thought outdoor experiences were important for environmental education and the panel members agreed.

• What barriers exist to having school groups going on field trips and/or overnight trips to LBL? What are some ideas to overcome those barriers and how does the LBL staff communicate with schools and school systems to get results?
  • Financing and funding sources are definitely a concern.
  • If students can't afford a trip, schools must find a way to cover the cost.
  • Transportation costs and instructional time are elements to consider.
  • Teachers sometimes struggle with the idea that the outdoor experience will teach.
  • Staggered school openings cause conflicting needs for buses and some buses are used for more than one school.
  • The experience that happens during the field trip has to be very valuable and must offset the time required to go to and from the visit.
  • Some barriers are perceived, such as a waste of instructional time on the bus.
         — It's important to be able to prepare prior to the trip.
  • How LBL staff uses the time during a visit is extremely important for the teacher.
  • There is a medical barrier.
         — A nurse may need to go on the trip, but may also need to be at the school.
  • Having facilities where students can eat lunch is sometimes an issue.
  • One fee covering multiple activities would be helpful.
  • Tremendous responsibility when taking children on overnight trips.
  • Some schools turn over population each year and teachers aren't familiar with the parents. In order to chaperone, parents need a background check, which can take several weeks/months to complete.
  • A large percentage of teachers change each year and some may not know about LBL. Schools have to continually educate new teachers who are recruited nationwide.
  • Teachers aren't always financially motivated to do overnight trips unless they find it personally beneficial; not all are paid for the extra hours.
  • Finances are often a barrier, but available time and how to use it is also a barrier.

Jared and the panel summarized the barriers identified as follows:

• Funding
• Amount of time
• Transportation
• Medical needs
• Legal concerns
• Supervision
• Individual activity fees
• Accommodations for meals
• Weather shelters
• Motivation of teachers
• Assistance for free and reduced students

• What can LBL do differently to be more attractive to school groups coming for educational purposes?
  • More marketing to schools; information is not getting out to everyone.
  • Use curriculum criteria in marketing, such as "This experience will meet this curriculum standard."
  • Sharing comments from other schools might be helpful to teachers.
  • Make an effort to visit and take LBL information into the schools.
  • Visiting the schools also creates an important personal connection; it helps when educators know a name and have a connection.
  • Professional development for teachers; work up a module to help educate teachers about standards that are addressed.
  • Consider a sliding scale on fees for schools with free and reduced lunches.
  • Limit length of lecture demonstrations for younger students; offer hands-on activities, possibly making something they can take home.
  • Ensure program is appropriate for the age group it's being presented to.
  • Divide large groups; have more than one speaker with personal microphones.
  • Use volunteers to be tour leaders; bring retired educators back to help.
  • Put information on how to get grants on the web.
  • Consider looking for other grants to help with trips (McDonalds, Lowe's, etc.)
  • Financial help
  • Help schools prepare in advance for trips. (Visiting schools to prepare them for the actual visit makes every second of the visit count.)
  • Schools have a responsibility to ask LBL to visit.
  • Prepare strategy and lesson plans, written to standards, for use in classrooms.
  • Make programs a collaborative effort with both teachers and EE staff participating in the presentation. (Students are often more comfortable if their teacher is involved.)
  • Sometimes teachers hesitate to take trips because they're graded on what information their students receive. They have a big responsibility for their students and they need to have some of the ownership.
  • Content of visit is important; students miss three other classes to go on a field trip so teachers really have to justify field trips and their impact on other programs
  • Other facilities in the area, such as the Four Rivers Center in Paducah, are also having issues with children not visiting. No one questions the value of the visit; schools just have to decide where they get the most benefit.
  • Schools might benefit if they scheduled field trips during non-testing years.
  • Contact/speak at local education associations to get information to a large group.

Jared summarized the panel comments of what LBL can do differently to attract school groups:

• Eliminate the disconnect between LBL and educators
• Take the core content and brainstorm activities to provide
• Tap into schools that have "made it work"
• State funding
• Web link for new teachers
• Technology to spark interest in students.
• Storytelling/Pod cast
• Customize programs for individual grades/groups
• Have a buffet of programs teachers can chose from
• Marketing; use research based data
• Communicate with curriculum coordinator

To help answer some questions raised during discussions on the three questions, Sharon Waltrip, EE Interpretive Specialist, provided information on a few things currently being done at LBL.

• The group planner used at LBL is correlated to Kentucky and Tennessee standards. The information is available on the web site; feedback from teachers would be helpful.
• Current LBL grant program is designed to bring new teachers and new schools to LBL.
• When considering who receives grant money, LBL does look at the percentage of free and reduced lunches at the schools.
• LBL has started asking for matching money; teachers find additional funding sources to qualify for LBL grant dollars.
• Educator workshops have been held at LBL.
• Staff tries to work with groups of no more than 20-30; however, larger groups often visit.
• Each facility does have individual fees and the cost runs about $2-3 per student; packaging options can be considered.
• There are a variety of programs to choose from; most are active, hands-on programs.

Next on the agenda, members were provided time to give their thoughts on the previous discussions or ask additional questions. Comments from the panel of educators follow the comments/questions from the board members.

• A core content academy might help; not just in science, but connect to other areas.
• Use a web site; teachers are crunched for time so the web can be beneficial.
• E-mail/newsletters; use regular distribution lists to administrators and teachers. Provide an outline of upcoming programs and activities.
• Have EE staff work with teachers to articulate education and testing benefits.
• Find a contact person from each district/county.
• Consider doing an in-service with FS staff and teachers. Put EE staff with teachers and use standards to develop programs; teachers will know the programs are in line with required testing.
• Go through instructional supervisors.
• Build Teacher Advisory Group
• Establish a list-serve where teachers could sign up to be part of it and get regular updates. List-serves allow people that have had experiences to give others insight. Teachers like to know other teachers have done it and have been successful.

Tom noted that LBL is a long way from some school districts and asked if there were areas closer where staff could meet with students as an initial place to introduce them to the out of doors.

• Activities held at the upper or lower ends of LBL might be helpful.
• One individual made his farm in Hopkinsville available and aligned activities to curriculum.

Ben suggested it might be a good idea to approach the legislatures for Tennessee and Kentucky and ask for one cent of every gas tax dollar to be allocated toward cultural education of students, in both EE and the arts. He asked the panel how many in their school systems are knowledgeable of the school enrichment facilities at LBL that would compliment the school process. Have they looked at what LBL has and packaged it towards school groups to effectively use their time?

• The knowledge is based on their experience. Many principals/teachers may not have had the experience and aren't as knowledgeable as they should be.
• There does seem to be a disconnect between what LBL has to offer and what educators know and have experienced at LBL.
• It would be good for administrators to go through the challenge course at Brandon.

David said it's important to get educators utilizing the facilities and asked who usually makes the final decision on field trips and where they go.

• The decision usually comes from the principal's level.

Della was encouraged by the early panel discussions, but after hearing Sharon's input, it appeared several of the suggestions are already in place at LBL. There is a bad disconnect.

Marvin noted there is more to LBL than science; there is also art, history, etc. It might be beneficial to have two to four classes participate in one trip to LBL and when they arrive, break off in different areas. Some could participate in a scientific area and other students could visit the Homeplace, etc. One field trip could serve more than one class.

Jim said the amount of stress and pressure on classroom teachers is tremendous. When test scores are low, they're scrutinized. Stress causes some of the barriers and disconnects.

Ben asked how high the goal would be for schools to put LBL in classroom use for public and private schools. Della said that EE is the only thing that validates the pain and anguish caused by the taking of this land.

• If children understand the history they will benefit, but this doesn't necessarily transcend test scores. LBL gives some intangibles that can't be measured by tests.
• There is an aspect that social studies could tie in to; students needed to see how the government affected the people.
• Young people find the history of the area very interesting.

Tom mentioned he recently found out that near the Taledega National Forest in Alabama, EE is integrated in every aspect of the curriculum. They're very interested in not losing that connection when kids leave their elementary years. At least one school system has figured out how to make this work. Rather than starting from scratch, we might be able to provide a contact to see how what they've done would work in concert with LBL. Tom will ensure Keith and Bill have the name of an individual to contact for information. Tom also said Ben's idea about using state tax money was good, but the Forest Service can't lobby. Schools would have to pursue this suggestion, or the Advisory Board members.

David asked if it is feasible to use LBL for in-service time for teachers and give them credit for it; let them be part of the development of the product.

• LBL is in a unique position with Murray State and Austin Peay close by. MSU is setting the trend with in-service training. Student teachers teach; we can engage college students to help in several areas.
• Consider a small teacher/advisory group that meets regularly. Professional development must match with their improvement plan for the school. Start with a small group to brainstorm; then open it up to a bigger group. If planned at this level, it could then be pushed to other teachers.
• There are people who want things like this to work and would be glad to champion it.

Bill asked how LBL staff can reach new teachers. Is it appropriate to go to them directly or should administrators recommend they contact us?

• New teachers, when gathering resources, will use the internet. There are several links of educational resources and LBL needs to be one of those links.

Della said LBL has been here a long time and asked if that was part of the problem. Is there nothing catching or imaginative to catch attention?

• It is possible teachers who are from this area take LBL for granted.
• Even if we love them, some places at LBL are fairly static.
• The outdoor classroom is appreciated; however, students are very IT oriented. Podcasts, GPS systems, web casts would all be beneficial.
• Anything LBL can do to incorporate technology would help. Most teachers are under 30 and technology attracts them also.

Keith Lannom asked what kind of technology is available in schools.

WEBX in all classrooms, GIS/GEOS, podcasts.

Della said children like to hear stories that are personalized and asked if there was anything like that available. Sallie commented that Della was very articulate, and it would be wonderful if she, or someone else with the knowledge and desire, would develop a podcast for the web telling their story; possibly videotaping interviews with individuals who gave up their land. Jim said an oral history has been done and maybe that could be a link.

At the end of the panel discussion, Sharon gave each participant a small token of thanks from LBL. She told them the discussions enriched the knowledge base of the staff and thanked them for taking the time to participate in this meeting.

The board broke for lunch and when they returned, Kathryn Harper, Public Affairs Officer, provided general LBL updates:

• LBL is moving ahead with a 240-acre timber sale on the area in LBL which received tornado damage.
• LBL plans to relocate about 35 elk in early March. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is the lead for this project. The elk have been certified healthy and alterations have been made to the fence to keep deer away from the elk.
• Fee increases have been implemented to help recover some of the increased costs in areas where equipment and recreation trends are changing. Basic campsite fee does not change, but there is an increase in sites with more utilities (where higher consumption happens).
• There were 660,000 inquiries for LBL information in FY07, which is up from last year. Visitation was also up.
• The 68/80 project is ongoing. Most of the current construction is at the intersection of 68/80 and the Trace. Underground utilities are going in near Fenton; timber is being cleared east to west through LBL. It's important for the public to know they should not be disrupted by the construction. The State has worked closely with LBL to ensure the public sees as little disruption as possible. The State will maintain the new road; they also maintain the Trace and other paved roads at LBL.

Next, Sharon Waltrip provided EE updates.

• Brandon has seen a slight increase in visitation. There were about 124 groups last year; 88 were school groups which included over 5700 students.
• Staff provided 470 programs last year to 7,222 people. The Nature Station and the Homeplace each gave 6700 school programs. Approximately 4000 people (in groups) visited the Planetarium.
• The school grant program awarded $14,448 to teachers.
• Completed LBL EE Master Plan, using the board's strategic recommendation. (A CD-ROM version was provided to all members; hard copies are available upon request.)
• The new calendar of events will be out soon in a slightly different format. The web site version has detailed information and can be printed; the published hard copy is an abbreviated calendar with specific info.

Terry mentioned that some areas such as Yellowstone and the Great Smoky's had been "loved to death", and when that happens the quality of the experience can diminish. He asked if LBL was reaching a capacity to have this concern.

We're not there, but we do have to think about our caring capacity. We have tried to bring use more in compliance with the ability of the resource to support it. At the OHV area, we did not have good control of the system and we were losing the quality of the experience. We have taken action to prevent this in areas where it was happening.

Darrin Samborski provided an update on the Respect the Resource Program, a project the board helped implement. Respect the Resource is an all encompassing message to help understand what people can do to help. Litter was a big issue and LBL is moving toward more recycling opportunities. There are over 20 stations at lake access areas to capture monofilament line and 25 pounds was recently sent to be recycled. LBL also has moved into a better program for recycling other products, such as plastic bottles, aluminum cans, etc., and there are now recycling stations at several facilities. The next issue staff would like to look at is plastic bottles. The number of bottles that aren't getting recycled is staggering. The cost on resources, water consumption, and oil to produce the bottles is significant.

Bill announced a new Respect the Resource program — LBL water bottles. Everyone attending was given one of the new bottles. Bill told the board that a procedural change is needed to get people to start refilling water bottles. In addition to the environmental benefits, some individuals may consider the economic advantages. As ambassadors for LBL and for EE, the board can help. Use of the bottle will be a good way to emphasize the message which is included in each bottle. Overtime, the bottled water currently in machines may be removed if there is an alternate water source. We can all help to educate and influence others.

Della asked how Respect the Resources is going at Turkey Bay.

Trail system is now designated and signed so riders can't ride in all areas. We have about 10 percent fewer trails being used, but the ones kept are in better shape and more sustainable. Some users acknowledged they had helped cause damage at Turkey Bay and they offered to help repair it. This year has been tough because of water damage. Riders prefer to have access all the time, but they understand how damage occurs. LBL staff is monitoring the run off. Restoration has been done in one area toward the lake. The water is a lot cleaner than it used to be. Every time we put up the construction screening and new plantings, we use the Respect the Resource system and explain why.

Terry asked if LBL even wanted to be in the off-road vehicle business.

FS considers it an appropriate use as long as it's sustainable. We've reduced the number of areas available and consistently monitor the use. It's usually rainfall that results in closures.

After a break, the board broke in two groups to continue discussions about connecting with schools and stimulating their use of LBL. Within their groups, members discussed the following two questions.

• What one (and only one) thought, comment or idea resonated with you personally, this morning?
• How could you, as part of the LBL Advisory Board, personally and positively build upon it?

After discussion among themselves, a facilitator joined each group to capture the members' answers to the following question.

• Thinking about these discussions, is there one thing that you, the board, could undertake using your time as a board, to follow up on over the next year?

The facilitators summarized the members' answers to the final question:

• Find out the teachers' needs.
• How does LBL meet these needs?
• Professional development for teachers.
• Take LBL to schools.
• Contact schools and promote LBL
• Financial Resources

Ben commented that what really resonated with him from the morning discussions was that some teachers haven't heard anything from LBL?

Bill said this is their reality. We may think we're doing something, but they're not seeing it.

Tom summed up two thoughts he had from the day's discussions:

• It's all about relationships. The LBL staff, board, and schools have an opportunity to reestablish a relationship. This might start as a combination of members and staff making individual contact with the school.
• Also, we need to look at what we are doing to measure our progress. How many educators did we see in the last year? What was the reaction? What are we going to do next?

Bill added his thoughts saying that as we think about the disconnect occurring (information not getting out); some tactical changes may need to be made to reach our audience, which is a rapidly changing group. We need to think about the advisory council mentioned by the teachers and consider if we need to tell them our programs are correlated; make sure they're aware of what's available at LBL. Also, consider going to the schools. We can only go so far with virtual methods, because it takes away from the real experience.