Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at a 'very high' or 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

Connecticut Project Learning Tree Facilitators
PLT works because facilitators across the country train educators to use PLT materials!
Roles and Responsibilities
As a facilitator, you set the stage for learning and encourage participants to explore and develop as professionals.  A facilitator serves as a guide, helping workshop participants gain a better understanding about the PLT program, its use, and potential impacts on students’ environmental awareness and understanding.  Your job as a facilitator is to help people feel comfortable in the group, to listen as much or more than you talk, and to help others understand what they have learned.
The PLT facilitator is responsible for:
  • Structuring a positive, hands-on experience that allows each member of the group to participate in activities, and so far as possible, achieve his or her reason for being at the workshop.
  • Modeling the PLT philosophy of “awareness” (what is PLT, and what does it contain) to “action” (participants make plans for use of PLT, then go home and use it). 
  • Motivating (through an enthusiastic presentation) and assisting the participants in understanding how they can integrate PLT into their teaching.
A PLT workshop facilitator must also put his or her biases and interests aside.  This is particularly difficult since many of the issues we talk about and many of the PLT activities we work with touch important aspects in our lives.

Facilitator Training
Interested in becoming a PLT facilitator?  The first step towards becoming a trained PLT facilitator is to attend a PLT workshop.