M.N. ‘Mully’ Taylor
(1903-1984)
Inducted September 27, 1985
Plaque Engraving:
In recognition of his founding TREES FOR TOMORROW — The Nation’s first public Conservation Education Center. During his 31 year tenure as Executive Director, Taylor developed the “on site” natural resources workshop system for teaching people wise management and use of our natural resources which is now the model for contemporary environmental education programs.
With the support of the paper and power industries, Taylor distributed 23 million tree seedlings to owners of small private woodlands. This program established that large sale planting of tree seedlings on private land was practical in maintaining the productivity of such lands.
More about M.N. “Mully” Taylor:
Mully Taylor’s contribution to the origination of the public conservation movement in Wisconsin, includes his founding and being executive director for 31 years, of Trees for Tomorrow, Eagle River. In this capacity, he established the first public natural resources education center in the Midwest. About 150,000 people received instruction on the wise management and use of natural resources at actual resource management sites.
Taylor put foresters face-to-face with the public as educators for the first time. He taught foresters to “sell” conservation and added a new dimension to their responsibilities. He developed the workshop system for teaching conservation – “immersing” people into a new environment for several days as a way to make learning “stick.” He believed in the “hands-on” learning experience.
Trees for Tomorrow, under Taylor’s guidance, established 42 of Wisconsin’s 345 school forests. The school forest system is unique in the United States making it possible for Wisconsin youth to learn natural resources management using their own school land “laboratories.”
Taylor and “Trees” assisted owners of small woodland tracts to practice forestry. He set up a tree planting organization and developed management plans for nearly 400,000 acres for forest land. In this way, he established the field for private consulting foresters, the Department of Natural Resources, University Extension foresters and the Tree Farm movement.
