Through a Chicago Public School Program fifth-grade students from different cultures and backgrounds were brought together to experience and learn about a forest environment. These urban students (N=269) completed a brief questionnaire about their previous experiences, perceptions, and expectations regarding forest resources. Findings indicate that most children had been to an urban or rural forest and had enjoyed and learned from the experiences (which usually involved walking or hiking), that most students who had not visited a forest probably would enjoy such an experience, and that previous forest/woodland experiences of these students differed by sex and ethnic background. Although most students felt safe in the forest and in their own neighborhood, blacks reported a larger number of dangers in each environment. These and other findings have implications for urban education programs that focus on forests and related resources. When developing such programs it is not enough to study only the children's reaction to the forest. The home environment must also be considered in order to relate the educational program to concepts the children can understand and to comprehend the children's reaction to the material being presented. (BC)