GAINESVILLE, FL – Each November, Florida Project Learning Tree (FL PLT) hosts a professional learning retreat to help educators across Florida expand their knowledge of PLT activities and resources, strengthen connections, and gain tools to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.
This year’s retreat took place on Nov. 1 through 3 at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge with the theme “Florida PLT and Conservation: Forests for the Future.” The weekend included conservation-focused activity modeling from the Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide, featuring activities like Invasive Species and Living with Fire.
Guest speakers Josh Havird from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Jonathan Chandler from the U.S. Forest Service spoke on federal conservation efforts, and participants engaged in breakout sessions focused on encouraging collaboration within the FL PLT network and setting actionable goals.
The event concluded with an awards ceremony recognizing the PLT Facilitator, Educator, and Partner of the Year for their outstanding contributions to environmental education in Florida.

Lara Milligan was recognized as the 2024 Florida PLT Facilitator of the Year.
Milligan is the Natural Resources Agent for UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County at Brooker Creek Preserve and Environmental Education Center, where she plays a vital role in programming, including guided tours, nature hikes, summer camps, podcasts, and the Exploring Environmental Education Curriculum Options (ECO) Educator Workshop. Her dedication to wildlife, water, and environmental education stands out, and she shares her expertise through her blog as well. Lara earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Natural Resource Conservation from the University of Florida and is a graduate of the Natural Resources Leadership Institute (NRLI). Milligan is now the lead facilitator for the ECO Educator Workshop, and this past summer marked the 12th year of the popular week-long training. Additionally, she hosts an engaging PLT training at Brooker Creek Preserve each year, where participants experience hands-on activities, such as Make Your Own Paper. Lara’s work exemplifies what PLT represents not only in Pinellas County but across the state of Florida. Her commitment to facilitating environmental education has made a lasting impact on educators and students alike.
Heather Bevis was recognized as the 2024 Florida PLT Educator of the Year for her unwavering commitment to educating young children about the environment.

Bevis is a seasoned PLT educator who has made a profound impact in early childhood education, bringing young children and their families closer to nature through hands-on environmental experiences. She works as a contractor for St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge and with the Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge, playing a vital role in PLT trainings and environmental education programming. Heather created an early childhood education program to connect the youngest children to the natural world, which has since been replicated at other refuges across the country. Each month, she leads a program called Tots on Trails at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge for children aged 18 months to 4 years and their caregivers. This program helps parents who might feel uneasy about taking their young children outdoors become more comfortable and empowered, making nature accessible and joyful for many families. In addition to her work at the refuge, Heather brings her nature-based preschool program to various preschools in Wakulla and Leon counties each month, reaching hundreds of young children. Her program includes PLT-based, hands-on activities, introducing children to both PLT and the natural world—many of whom might not otherwise have these experiences. Heather also supports state PLT events, assisting with preparations and contributing her energy and enthusiasm.
Weyerhaeuser was recognized as PLT Partner of the Year for their outstanding contributions to environmental education in Florida.
Weyerhaeuser has been a dedicated supporter of FL PLT since 2019, providing both financial contributions and personnel that have been crucial in expanding the program’s reach across the state. Their support has enabled FL PLT to provide educational materials to hundreds of educators. It also helped fund a partnership with the Panhandle Area Educational Consortium in early 2024, offering resources and stipends to 22 teachers in the traditionally hard-to-reach Panhandle region. Beyond financial support, Weyerhaeuser has also played an active role on FL PLT’s Steering Committee, with past representation from Randy Raczkowski, and current representation from Sarah Henry, a silviculture forester. Their involvement includes valuable contributions like Matt Donovan’s participation in a 2020 virtual training for Levy County teachers, where he helped connect the PLT curriculum to real-world forestry practices.
This annual event was made possible through the generous support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge, and sponsors including The Langdale Company, Smurfit-Westrock, Packaging Corporation of America (PCA), and the Florida SFI Implementation Committee (SIC), who provided educational materials, meals, snacks, and beverages. Special thanks to Lori Nicholson, FL PLT Steering Committee Chair, and her team for helping to organize the event, as well as to St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge for providing their exceptional facilities for the 2024 FL PLT Professional Learning Retreat.
About PLT
Project Learning Tree® (PLT) is the environmental education program of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and is sponsored in Florida by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatics. PLT is one of 50 state programs, a part of Project Learning Tree’s network of more than 500,000 educators.
PLT is a versatile and interdisciplinary environmental education program with an award-winning curriculum that teaches youth about trees, forests, and the environment — which in turn develops students’ awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of the environment; builds their skills and ability to make informed decisions; and encourages them to take personal responsibility for sustaining the environment and our quality of life that depends on it.
To find out more about Florida Project Learning Tree, visit https://programs.ifas.ufl.edu/plt/ and for more information on Project Learning Tree, visit https://www.plt.org/.

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