Outstanding Tree Farmers –1998

One of George and Joan Freeman's favorite outreach activities is to host a group of special guests on their Pennsylvania Tree Farm. Once a year the Freemans host more than 100 mentally and physically challenged youth, partnering with Clarion University and Keystone Americorps Service Making an Impact Through Learning Experiences with Adults (SMILES). The event serves as a summer learning facility for these disabled students, ranging from 5 through 12 years of age.

The children participate in bird and tree identification, build brush piles for wildlife habitat, plant trees, feed the fish, and take wagon rides through the woods. For some of the children, this is the one time a year that they can leave the city and get into the woods. By providing activities for all mobility levels, the Freemans include even those children in wheelchairs in the outdoor field day activities. The program benefits from the many partners and its unique curriculum design, which features multi-age groups, student teams, the inclusion of disabled students, and staff in-service training.

George and Joan acquired their first 60 acres of forestland in 1957, and over the next 30 years they added nine more parcels of neglected and abused farmland and forest. Through education and hard work, George and his family have created a wonderful woodland environment providing plenty of healthy habitat for wildlife and recreational opportunities for visitors. Over the past 25 years, the Freemans have invested nearly 7,000 hours into their woodlands and have planted over 51,000 trees. Ninety-five percent of their woodland is forested today.