Pacific Logging Congress Live In-Woods Show set for high school students
The Pacific Logging Congress Live In-Woods Show, Sept. 13-14, will showcase Oregon State University research forests as well as active and static industry displays. The active sites provide an excellent opportunity for high school students to view the latest technology in logging equipment. Teachers can register their classes online at www.pacificloggingcongress.org/student-invitation.
New Capitol Christmas Tree instruction guide available
Every holiday season, the Christmas tree displayed in front of the U.S. Capitol Building is selected from one of our 154 national forests across the country. This year's tree will come from Oregon's Willamette National Forest. It will make a 3,000-mile journey to Washington, D.C, starting in Sweet Home in November and make a series of stops for community celebrations in Oregon and other states along the way. The festivities will culminate with an official tree-lighting ceremony in early December.
OFRI has produced a new instruction guide that suggests ways to capitalize on this opportunity by helping students understand why Oregon is such a great place to grow trees and how they can be a part of the tree's send-off to Washington. One activity listed is the
Governor's Essay Contest, where fourth-grade students can share what they love about Oregon's outdoors and have a chance to win a trip to Washington, D.C. for the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree lighting. Essay submissions are due by Sept. 14. Order or download the new instruction guide at LearnForests.org.
Register now for fall and spring programs
Sign up now for the Natural Resources Education Program, held in OFRI's 15-acre demonstration Rediscovery Forest inside The Oregon Garden. This is a perfect setting to learn about forests and other natural resources. The program uses learning stations and hands-on activities to teach fourth- through sixth-grade students why forests are important. The topics covered in program lessons include plant and animal adaptation, forest food webs, healthy forests and wildlife habitat. The curriculum is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards and the Oregon Forest Literacy Plan. This field program lasts about four hours. The cost is $3 per student, but scholarships are available.
"The program offers a bunch of hands-on learning you just can't get in a classroom," says OFRI environmental educator Rikki Heath. "We have a lot of fun out here, and it's an easy way to get students out into the forest to learn about Oregon's natural resources." More information and registration are available at LearnForests.org
Oregon Natural Resources Education Program offering workshops
The Oregon Natural Resources Education Program (ONREP) has been a leader in providing professional development programs for K-12 educators since its inception in the mid-1980s. ONREP programming has contributed to building an understanding of Oregon's forests, wildlife and ecosystems for thousands of educators. Find out about upcoming winter workshops and register at http://onrep.forestry.oregonstate.edu/
The Oregon Legislature created the Oregon Forest Resources Institute in 1991 to advance public understanding of how forest stewardship meets the social, environmental and economic needs of both present and future generations. OFRI works closely with the scientific, academic and educational communities at Oregon State University, the Oregon Department of Forestry and other agencies to ensure its K-12 resources are accurate and objective.
For more information about OFRI's educational programs, contact:
Norie Dimeo-Ediger Director of K-12 Education Programs
971-673-2956
dimeo-ediger@ofri.org
