Virtual Learning Adventures with the Forest Service

Welcome to our FSNatureLIVE distance learning adventures! We bring nature learning to you through our series of webcasts, webinars, and online education resources.

No matter where you are in the world, visit our LIVE programs for exciting, on-site learning about bats, butterflies, climate change, wetlands, and more!

  • Past Program

    Ecosystems LIVE: Nature Nearby

    Logo for Ecosystems LIVE: Nature Nearby

    During this program in the FSNatureLIVE series, we’ll learn about how the environment and human actions impact animals as well as how you can investigate what animals live near you….

    Learn About:

    • The Nature Around You
    • The Environment and Human Interactions
    • What Animals Live Near You
    Explore Program

Past Programs

  • Past Program

    Smokey Bear LIVE 4

    Smokey Bear LIVE 4 logo

    This program in the FSNatureLIVE series explores real wildfire case studies by asking: what started them, how much damage did they cause, and how can YOU prevent them from happening…

    Learn About:

    • Unwanted and Unplanned Fire
    • Real Case Studies
    • Wildfire Prevention
    Explore Program
  • Past Program

    Virtual Learning Adventure – Nature Health Benefits LIVE

    Nature Health Benefits

    Hoping to learn more about the health benefits of nature? The Forest Service and Natural Inquirer have partnered to bring you Nature Health Benefits LIVE! Learn about a research study…

    Our Schedule

    • Episode 1 explored how nature can improve our physical health — 2/2/2024
    • Episode 2 explored how nature can improve our mental/emotional health — 2/9/2024
    • Episode 3 presented a study that investigated the effects of greening vacant lots on residents' mental health — 2/16/2024
    • Episode 4 is a Q&A where our expert panel answered viewer questions live — 2/23/2024
    Explore Program
  • Past Program

    Moon Trees LIVE

    Moon Trees Live

    Moon Trees LIVE is a virtual learning adventure about Moon Trees, Artemis I, seed science, tree species, and so much more. Below you will find videos for Moon Trees LIVE…

    Learn About:

    • The History of the First Moon Trees
    • The Artemis I Mission
    • How Seeds Are Packaged for Space
    • What Happened to Seeds When They Landed Back on Earth
    • Measurements of the Artemis Moon Trees
    Explore Program
  • Past Program

    Woodsy Owl LIVE

    Woodsy Owl with the Natural Inquirer bee looking at caterpillar through a magnifying glass

    Welcome to Woodsy Owl LIVE, a distance learning adventure brought to you by the USDA Forest Service and the Natural Inquirer. There are three different Woodsy Owl LIVE programs: Woodsy…

    Learn About:

    • How climate change affects trees
    • The benefits of trees
    • The water and carbon cycles
    • How you can lend a hand and care for the land
    • Environmental conservation career opportunities
    Explore Program
  • Past Program

    Smokey Bear LIVE

    Smokey Bear LIVE A Distance Learning Adventure. Illustration of Smokey Bear.

    Welcome to Smokey Bear LIVE, a distance learning adventure brought to you by the USDA Forest Service and the Natural Inquirer. There are currently three different Smokey Bear LIVE programs:…

    Learn About:

    • The history of Smokey Bear
    • Careers in wildland fires
    • Fire prevention and the equipment used to fight wildfires
    • The fire danger rating system used nationwide
    • Spectrum of fire prevention and management
    • Good fire vs bad fire
    Explore Program
  • Past Program

    Caves LIVE

    Caves LIVE a Distance Learning Adventure

    A world of wonder awaits just below the surface, and this distance learning adventure explores these amazing places. Specially adapted animals, beautiful mirror pools, sparkling crystals, domed caverns, and twisting…

    Learn About:

    • How caves are formed
    • How nutrients and water flow through caves
    • The animals living in caves
    • How humans have used caves
    • Other research being done in caves
    • What we can do to protect caves
    Explore Program
  • Past Program

    Grasslands LIVE

    Grasslands LIVE

    Rolling acres of grassland used to stretch across the U.S. Historically the shortgrass, mixed-grass and tallgrass prairies covered about one-fifth of North America. Today, much of the historic range of…

    Learn About:

    • Grasslands habitat
    • Citizen science projects
    • Birds and animals in grasslands
    • History of grasslands
    • Conservation
    Explore Program
  • Past Program

    Great Outdoors LIVE

    Great Oudoors LIVE Yours to Explore

    Our country is full of dazzling landscapes where you can play and learn. America’s public lands are a treasured part of our national heritage, representing its grandeur, bountiful promise, and…

    Learn About:

    • What public lands are and their importance
    • The history of public lands
    • Large and small ecosystems
    • Careers in natural resources
    • Connections to indigenous peoples
    • Balancing wildlife and human needs
    • What you can do to get involved and conserve public lands
    Explore Program
  • Past Program

    Fresh Water LIVE

    FreshWaterLive Scientists in Action

    Everyone needs fresh water to live, but fresh water is limited and precious. Learn about the importance of fresh water, watersheds, the water cycle, and more by watching these programs.

    Learn About:

    • Food Forest
    • Watersheds
    • Indicator Species
    • Sublimation
    • Water Quality
    Explore Program
  • Past Program

    Climate Change LIVE

    Climate Change LIVE

    Welcome to the ClimateChangeLIVE distance learning adventure! The U.S. Forest Service and 26 federal and NGO partners bring climate learning to you through a series of webcasts, webinars, and online…

    Includes:

    • Join the Climate Conversation
    • Educate, Inspire and Engage GreenWorks!
    • Action Grants for ClimateChangeLIVE Participants
    • Professional Development for Climate Change Educators
    • Climate Change Live Educational Resources - Part 1
    • ClimateChangeLIVE Educational Resources – Part 2
    Explore Program
  • Past Program

    WetlandsLIVE

    Wetlands LIVE A Distance Learning Adventure Learn. Connect. Act.

    Wetlands provide a vital link between water and land and important benefits to people and the environment. FSNatureLIVE logoWetlands help regulate water levels within watersheds; improve water quality; reduce flood…

    Learn About:

    • Caminando en los Humedales
    • Descubriendo Humadales
    • Discover Wetlands
    • Wetland Connections
    • Wading Into Wetlands
    Explore Program
  • Past Program

    Bats LIVE

    Bats LIVE

    A Distance Learning Adventure brings bat conservation to life through webcasts, webinars, and online education resources. Bats are vital to healthy ecosystems and human economies worldwide. As primary predators of…

    Learn About:

    • Live from Bracken Bat Cave Bat Basics Cave and Karst – The World Beneath our Feet
    • Bat Education in Your Class and in the Field
    • Bat Basics
    Explore Program
  • Past Program

    Pollinator LIVE

    Pollinator LIVE

    While pollinators may come in small sizes, they play a large and often undervalued role in the production of the food we eat, the health of flowering plants, and the…

    Learn About:

    • Nature's Partners: Pollinators, Plants, and People
    • The Insect Zoo in Your Schoolyard: Overview of Pollination
    • Honey Bees, Native Bees, Gardening, and More
    • Designing, Planning, and Creating Schoolyard Gardens (Webinar)
    • Bees Can Teach Science! Meet Standards by Studying Pollinators in the Field and Classroom
    • Schoolyard Garden Basics
    Explore Program
  • Past Program

    Monarch LIVE

    Monarch LIVE Virtual Learning Adventure

    The annual migration of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in the world. Every year, millions of monarchs migrate thousands of miles from…

    Learn About:

    • En las Montañas de México
    • Conservación de Comunidad en México - Alternare
    • Building the Population Little Spaces; Big Results
    • In the Mexican Mountains
    • MonarchLIVE Kick-off Community
    • Conservation in Mexico
    Explore Program
  • Past Program

    Migration Science and Mystery

    Migration Science & Mystery a Virtual Learning Adventure

    Join in a journey of over 6,500 miles from Panama to Alaska alongside millions of migrating shorebirds to learn about the science and mystery of migration. You’ll find a wealth…

    Learn About:

    • Develop a basic knowledge of the life history and biology of shorebirds.
    • Understand that shorebirds rely on critical wetland habitats for their survival.
    • Learn that neotropical migratory birds face a diversity of challenges to their survival, and many of these challenges are human-dependent.
    • Appreciate that migratory birds are shared between different communities throughout the migration routes.
    • Understand the role of citizens, public land management agencies, and non-governmental organizations in protecting and conserving habitat.
    • Become motivated to take action in their own backyards to protect birds and their habitats.
    Explore Program
  • Past Program

    America’s Rain Forests LIVE

    America's Rain Forests

    Rain forests provide a haven for the largest diversity of plants and animals on Earth. Join US Forest Service experts, scientists, researchers, and students and explore the tropical rain forest…

    Learn About:

    • Understand the basic ecology and functioning of both tropical and temperate rain forests
    • Recognize the value of rain forests and the challenges these ecosystems face due to human impacts
    • Be motivated to explore, study, and understand the ecosystems where you live
    • Understand that National Forests are public lands, managed for all, with unique challenges
    Explore Program
  • Past Program

    Winging Northward LIVE

    Winging Northwards A Shorebird's Journey

    Get ready to take flight alongside migrating shorebirds for an exciting trip to the Copper River Delta in Alaska. How can you bring shorebird excitement into your classroom? This resource…

    Learn About:

    • A Shorebird's Journey
    Explore Program