Do not underestimate the power of the web
We launched our refreshed OregonForests.org website last month. The old one was a bit tired, plus it didn't translate well to mobile devices. But, man, did it get used.
Smaller in number were viewers to our landowner and K-12 websites, KnowYourForest.org and LearnForests.org, respectively. But folks who frequent these sites spend more time, visit more pages and download more content.
Overall, during the quarter, viewers downloaded 3,511 documents or videos from the five sites. That's convenient for viewers, and it's cost-efficient for OFRI.
With so much website use, I have to wonder: What did we do before the Internet?
Paul Barnum
Executive Director
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OregonForests.org is new and improved
Easier access, improved search functions and a better user experience are among the benefits of the newly updated OregonForests.org, the OFRI website dedicated to educating Oregonians about forests, forest management and forest products.
In response to an increasing number of visitors accessing the site on mobile devices, OFRI has redesigned it to present information on a variety of forestry-related topics in a format that's more compatible for viewing on tablets and smartphones. The new OregonForests.org went live last month and continues to serve as OFRI's main website, providing information about our staff, board and programs.
"The updated site is more visually compelling and highlights OFRI's extensive catalog of educational resources," says Jordan Benner, OFRI senior public outreach manager and chief architect of the new site. "It features improved search and sorting functions that make it easier to find and view, download or order OFRI publications, videos and other content."
Other site updates include expanded content, more capabilities to easily share content via social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, and quick-links on the homepage to conveniently access pages addressing topics with the most public interest.
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Workshop to explore relationship between forest carnivores and forest management
An upcoming workshop for forest landowners, managers and wildlife biologists will provide the opportunity to learn about Oregon forest carnivores, with an emphasis on fisher, marten and fox.
The free one-day workshop, "Forest Carnivores and their Habitats: A Focus on Fisher, Marten and Fox," will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 19 at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road in Albany.
It will feature wildlife experts discussing forest carnivore species that are under consideration for
additional federal and state protections, which have the potential to influence timber harvest practices where these animals are found. The aim is to educate landowners, managers and biologists about the current and proposed policies regarding these species, and the implications for forest landowners.
The workshop is sponsored by OFRI, the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, the Partnership for Forestry Education and the Forest Carnivore Working Group. Continuing education credits are available from the Society of American Foresters, The Wildlife Society and Associated Oregon Loggers.
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Volunteers needed for Forest Field Day
The Eugene-based forest education organization Forests Today & Forever is seeking volunteers to help teach middle-school students about forestry during Forest Field Days.
Forest Field Days is an educational program that promotes awareness among students and teachers about forests and forest management. The program is designed to provide science-based learning and foster citizenship, critical-thinking and program-solving skills in students.
Volunteers can choose one of five stations - soils, water, wildlife, timber and recreation - where they'll share their interest and expertise on one of these forestry-related topics with Forest Field Day participants. All information and educational props will be provided. Volunteers are simply asked to show up and share their knowledge with students.
Forest Field Days will take place at the Bauman Family Tree Farm near Eugene on the following dates: Sept. 26, 27 and 29, and Oct. 3, 5, 6, 10, 11, 17, 19, 24 and 25.
To sign up to volunteer, email Forests Today & Forever Director Beth Krisko at
[email protected]
, call her at 541-554-1342, or fill out a form on the organization's website.
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OTFS to hold annual meeting
The Oregon Tree Farm System will host its 2017 annual meeting Oct. 21 in Silverton.
The meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Oregon Garden Resort, 895 W. Main St. The program includes a hands-on field workshop and an awards recognition luncheon honoring the County Tree Farmers of the Year. The 2017 Inspector of the Year and Oregon Tree Farmer of the Year awards will be announced at the luncheon.
Three concurrent educational sessions for family forest landowners, on the topics of determining density management, being successful with reforestation, and managing ponderosa pine in the Willamette Valley, will be held in the OFRI-managed Rediscovery Forest, inside The Oregon Garden. For younger attendees, OFRI will offer a forest discovery station with hands-on activities in the Rediscovery Forest's Discovery Pavilion.
This year's meeting for the first time includes an inspector annual meeting and workshop that will explore the wealth of information from the national woodland owner survey, plus approaches for engaging more family forest landowners in a meaningful conversation about their woods.
OFRI is a co-sponsor of the event together with the Oregon Small Woodlands Association, the Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon State University Forestry & Natural Resources Extension, the U.S. Forest Service and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
A full event program with a registration form is available to download from the Oregon Tree Farm System website.
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Nonprofit gets kids outdoors
The nonprofit organization Passport Oregon is seeking support and reliable transportation to provide day trips that connect young Oregonians with nature.
Passport Oregon offers cohorts of six to eight underserved children from urban areas a chance to explore their natural surroundings through a series of free visits to places such as Mount Hood, the Tillamook Forest Center, the Columbia River Gorge and Silver Falls State Park. The goal is to give the next generation of mountain climbers, loggers and adventurers the chance to start their lifelong relationship with Oregon's outdoors.
Founded in 2016 in Executive Director Kevin Frazier's dorm room at the University of Oregon, Passport Oregon has organized more than 40 trips for kids from schools and groups such as Creston School in southeast Portland, Beaver Acres Elementary in Beaverton and the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization.
Those who would like to support Passport Oregon by providing access to a van or bus the organization could use on Saturdays, or who are interested in volunteering on trips, should contact Frazier at [email protected]. More information about how to volunteer or donate to Passport Oregon is available on the organization's website.
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The Oregon Legislature created the Oregon Forest Resources Institute in 1991 to advance public understanding of forests, forest management and forest products and to encourage sound forestry through landowner education. A 13-member board of directors governs OFRI. It is funded by a portion of the forest products harvest tax.
Copyright © 2017, Oregon Forest Resources Institute. All Rights Reserved.
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On the blog
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Wood Design Award nominations sought
WoodWorks, a Wood Products Council initiative that assists design and construction professionals with wood building projects, is accepting nominations for its 2018 Wood Design Awards.
The awards recognize excellence in wood design, engineering and construction, as well as innovative projects that showcase attributes of wood such as strength, beauty, versatility, cost-effectiveness and sustainability. The deadline to submit nominations is Sept. 29, 2017.
Award categories include multifamily, commercial and institutional wood design, wood in schools, green building with wood, beauty of wood and wood in government buildings.
More information about submitting an award nomination is available on WoodWorks'
website.
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"Root Ball" to benefit Tillamook Forest Center
The "2017 Root Ball - Evening of Mystery" will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. outside the center, 45500 Wilson River Highway, on the Wilson River Bridge in the Tillamook State Forest. The theme for this year's Root Ball is "Midnight at the Masquerade," and guests are encouraged to dress up and help solve a fictitious murder mystery. The event will include hors d'oeuvres, a no-host bar, music and fundraising activities to support the Tillamook Forest Center's Forest Education Pavilion project.
Event tickets can be purchased online.
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Michael Green to keynote benefit
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Canadian architect and tall wood building advocate Michael Green will keynote a Sept. 28 benefit for the Portland-based nonprofit Sustainable Northwest.
The "Live Edge 2017" benefit highlighting Sustainable Northwest's role in the region's green building and sustainable forest sector is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. at Castaway Portland, 1900 NW 18th Ave. It will feature a cocktail hour, live and silent auctions, an awards presentation and dinner. Proceeds benefit Sustainable Northwest, which promotes collaborative natural resource management that strengthens rural economies.
Event registration is available on Sustainable Northwest's website.
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Get Out:
Hart's Cove Trail
T
he Hart's Cove Trail in the Siuslaw National Forest on the Oregon Coast descends 900 feet in elevation through a Sitka spruce and western hemlock rain forest, ending at a prairie headland overlooking the Pacific Ocean with a view of Chitwood Falls as it cascades over a cliff into Hart's Cove.
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