Engaging the next generation of forest stewards: a place-based framework for advancing forest education in Canadian high schools

Abstract Instilling future generations with knowledge about the environment and forest ecosystems has never been more urgent considering the ongoing global biodiversity loss, climate crisis, demand for forest resources, and socio-political divides. This study introduces a novel analytical framework for assessing place-based education (PBE) in forest education (FE) contexts. Developed from a synthesis of existing PBE literature, this framework analyzes how Canadian FE programs for youth ages 13–16 foster place attachment, ecological literacy, and holistic pedagogy, while navigating diverse institutional and cultural conditions. Using an ethnographic case study approach, data were collected through pedagogical documentation and semistructured interviews with Canadian FE respondents. The findings demonstrate that PBE can serve as a powerful vehicle for cultivating youth-nature relationships, particularly when educational programming is locally rooted, community-driven, and student-centered. Stakeholder practices revealed strong alignment with the PBE framework, yet the depth and consistency of integration varied significantly based on access to forest spaces, educator preparation, and institutional support. This study illustrates how Canada’s decentralized education governance enables curricular flexibility, while also exposing persistent inequities in funding, recognition, and access that challenge the long-term viability of FE programs. Additionally, foregrounding of indigenous knowledge systems and leadership was found to be highly dependent upon stakeholder relationships and values, with formal institutions and colonial legacies hindering this progress. By centering high school students, an age group often overlooked in educational research, this study offers conceptual and practical insights into how FE across Canadian contexts may support youth and educators in developing knowledge and skills associated with forest stewardship.