Take time for a walk in the woods
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In the midst of navigating through uncertain times and all the changes that have impacted our daily lives, taking a walk in the woods is one thing you can still do. Not only will you come away with a deeper connection to our natural environment, but there are some amazing
health benefits
as well.
As Oregonians, we have an abundance of opportunities for getting out into the forest. Nearly half of Oregon is
forestland
and we are home to
11 national
and
six state
forests. Portland is home to
Forest Park
, which is one of the largest urban forests in the United States. Eugene is home to
Hendricks Park
, which provides visitors a chance to walk among 200-year-old Douglas-fir trees, ferns and wildflowers.
However, given the unprecedented crisis we face with the coronavirus outbreak, it’s imperative that while we enjoy the forest, we also adhere to the requirement to maintain physical distance and follow state and local guidelines.
As counties begin to enter Phase I re-opening, please check online before you venture out to your favorite forest hiking trail. There are restrictions in place to limit crowding, and operations could change during the day.
No matter where you live in Oregon, the opportunity to take a walk in the woods – while still maintaining appropriate distancing – is easy to find. Take advantage of this no-cost opportunity to improve your health and well-being.
Erin Isselmann
Executive Director
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Tree School Online, a new webinar series aimed at educating Oregon forest landowners during this time of social distancing, is currently in full swing and will continue through late July.
Hosted by OFRI and other members of the
Partnership for Forestry Education
, the 15-week webinar series features weekly 90-minute sessions that are free and open to the public. The webinars take place twice each Tuesday, starting at 10 a.m. and again at 3 p.m. Weekly webinars are currently scheduled to take place through July 21, and all will be recorded and available for later viewing.
The webinars include speakers who were planning to present at
Tree School Clackamas
, Oregon State University Extension’s annual educational event for forest landowners, which was canceled this year due to the pandemic.
Upcoming webinar topics include “Forest Carbon for the Family Forest Landowner” at 10 a.m. and “Forest Management Plan Writing” at 3 p.m. on June 2. On June 9, Tree School Online will hold a “Support Your Local Raptor” webinar at 10 a.m. and another on “The Secret Life of Birds” at 3 p.m. Descriptions of past and upcoming webinars are available
here
.
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Amity high school wins Oregon Envirothon
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A team of students from Amity High School took first place in the 2020
Oregon Envirothon
competition, which OFRI hosted virtually for the first time this year, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“Team Rogue Pack” from Logos Public Charter School in Medford finished in second place. Sutherlin High School’s “FFA Team” took third place.
After having to cancel the in-person Oregon Envirothon event, originally scheduled for May 1 at The Oregon Garden in Silverton, OFRI conducted the statewide
natural resources knowledge competition
online. With so many other spring school activities canceled this year due to the pandemic, including proms and graduation ceremonies, the 2020 Oregon Envirothon offered a chance for more than 100 students from across the state to connect and participate in a team-based learning activity.
Participating students worked together remotely as a team to complete online tests in five categories: aquatic ecology, forest ecology, wildlife ecology, soils
and
land use, and a revolving current issue. This year, the current-issue portion of the competition focused on water resource management. Students were asked to submit video presentations discussing what local stakeholders can do to address integrated water management challenges.
The competition winners were congratulated in a virtual awards ceremony, and will receive their plaques in the mail. OFRI also mailed all participating students a 2020 Oregon Envirothon T-shirt.
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While schools are closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, OFRI’s K-12 Education Program is offering free downloadable educational materials for at-home learning about Oregon’s forests.
Teachers, parents and students can download the materials from a new
webpage
on OFRI’s website for K-12 education,
LearnForests.org
. The page includes a series of “mini lessons” using OFRI’s educational materials, designed for at-home learning. Each lesson explores a forest-related topic through a combination of reading, writing and scientific investigation.
OFRI offers a range of K-12 education resources designed specifically for different grade-level ranges. All these materials provide science-based, factual information about Oregon's forests, are regularly updated to reflect the latest research findings, and align with state education standards. Students and their families are encouraged to explore OFRI’s
learning library
to find an array of educational materials to try at home.
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BLOG: "Forest learning via webinar"
There’s a lot going on in the webinar world for Oregon small woodland owners. OFRI Director of Forestry Mike Cloughesy sums them up in a new blog post. Read the
blog
.
BLOG: "Get to know Oregon's forest wildlife from the safety of your home"
While you’re self-isolating during the pandemic, OFRI contract wildlife biologist Fran Cafferata Coe suggests doing some reading about Oregon forest wildlife. In her latest guest blog, she recommends checking out OFRI’s collection of wildlife-related publications. Read the
blog
.
BLOG: "Deliberate acts of gratitude"
In a recent blog post, OFRI Executive Director Erin Isselmann reflects that during these challenging times, staying home to stop the spread of the coronavirus just doesn’t feel like enough. She recommends “deliberate acts of gratitude” to thank our essential workers, ranging from those who work in healthcare to those who deliver our packages or make our toilet paper. Read the
blog
.
Thanking Oregon's toilet paper makers
To express OFRI’s appreciation for the employees at Oregon’s only toilet paper mill in Wauna, the Institute produced a short video honoring their dedication to working around the clock to meet the unprecedented demand for toilet paper.
Watch the video
.
Webinars focus on creating climate-resilient forests
A new webinar series offered by the Oregon State University Forestry and Natural Resources Extension program starting June 10 will provide guidance for landowners on keeping forests healthy in the face of climate change. The “Maintaining a Healthy Forest in an Uncertain Climate Webinar” series will include presentations on practical, cost-effective approaches to strengthening a forest’s resilience to wildfire, bugs and drought.
Learn more
.
AOL names new chief executive
Associated Oregon Loggers has appointed Rex Storm as its executive vice president. Storm, who is a certified forester and forest landowner, previously served as forest policy manager for the statewide trade group, which provides business and government affairs services to more than 1,000 forest-contract firms and allied forest-sector businesses.
Learn more
.
"Wood is Good" program offered virtually
Forests Today & Forever, a Eugene-based nonprofit organization that provides forestry education programs to youth and adults, is now offering its “Wood is Good: Forest Sector Career Learning” program for Oregon high school students virtually. The interactive program showcases the breadth and diversity of jobs in the forest sector. Teachers can contact Forests Today & Forever Director Beth Krisko at
coordinator@foreststodayandforever.org
to schedule their students to participate.
Learn more
.
Grants Pass is Oregon Tree City of the Year
The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), in partnership with Oregon Community Trees (OCT), has named Grants Pass as Oregon Tree City of the Year for 2020. Each year, ODF and OCT select one of Oregon’s 66 nationally recognized Tree City USA communities statewide as the Tree City of the Year to recognize that city’s commitment to its urban forest.
Learn more.
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Oregon Forest Resources Institute
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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 © 2020, Oregon Forest Resources Institute. All Rights Reserved.
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