Summertime and the Living is Easy
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Who doesn’t love summer in Oregon? After making it through a cold, rainy winter and then a warmer (sometimes) rainy spring, we flock outside to enjoy some of the best weather in the lower 48. When the whole “staycation” concept came along, a lot of Oregonians were left scratching their heads. In summer, we’ve been staying near home and vacationing around Oregon seemingly since Lewis and Clark days.
This summer, I’ve developed a list of forest experiences that you can only get in Oregon. My plan is to check most of these off my list this summer, and I hope others will enjoy them too!
Travel back in time at Oregon’s
ghost forest.
The ghost forest of
Neskowin
has around 100 stumps and snags from a 2,000-year-old stand of Sitka spruce. The stand was buried by an earthquake and is now a natural phenomenon unique to
Oregon
.
Visit one of our amazing six state forests. Oregon has some beautiful
state forests
featuring trails, campgrounds, day-use areas, wildlife viewing and fishing. If you’re on the west side of Oregon this summer, chances are you will either travel by or through a state forest. Making a short detour to visit one will be something you won’t soon forget.
Visit one of our 11 national forests. Yes, you read that right: Oregon has 11
national forests
! From the southern border with California through central Oregon and up into eastern Oregon, you can choose from a wide array of forest types.
Take a
forest bath
. I was skeptical about this one, but after doing a little research, I am game to give a forest bath a try. Basically, a forest bath is all about spending time in a forest and was popularized in the 1980s in Japan. All you have to do is walk 30-40 minutes in the woods to get some great stress relief.
Erin Isselmann
Executive Director
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On June 25-26, OFRI and the
USDA Forest Service
sponsored the Mass Timber Sustainable Forestry Teacher Tour for high school instructors.
High school instructors who are teaching natural resources, science, construction or architecture were invited to attend the event to learn about the social, economic and ecological aspects of sustainable forestry and forest products. Attendees received resources, curricula and hands-on experience related to teaching about state-of-the-art wood products, the role of carbon in forests, urban and rural forest management, and more.
Those who attended also heard from a diverse group of professionals in the architecture, construction and wood products manufacturing fields who are working together to design and build with wood in innovative ways. In addition, attendees visited mass timber buildings in Portland, explored emerging workforce opportunities for students, and hiked and dined at Multnomah Falls.
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Workshop featured early seral forests
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In early June, the Early Seral Biodiversity Science and Management
workshop
was hosted by Oregon State University and co-sponsored by OFRI. The workshop brought scientists, landowners, agencies, forest practitioners, nonprofit organizations and others together to learn about recent scientific findings on the topic of early seral forests in the Pacific Northwest.
Scientists shared results from a broad-scale collaborative science effort to test the efficacy of various early seral management techniques. In addition, the workshop identified information gaps and conservation and management challenges that were relevant to both practitioners and scientists. Many participants went on a tour of early seral forests to both private and federal forests.
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Oregon Natural Resources Education Program names new director
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Mikkelson served as the ONREP outreach program coordinator beginning in 2005. For five years prior to that, she served as the education director for the Friends of the Rappahannock, a nonprofit conservation organization in Virginia.
Mikkelson earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in adult education and organizational leadership, both from Oregon State University. She received a College of Forestry Dean’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Outreach, and a Vice-Provost’s Award for Excellence in Innovation Partnerships.
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Blog: Searching for fishers
In her latest post on the OFRI blog, wildlife biologist Fran Cafferata Coe shares her experience looking for fishers for a day with an Oregon State University research wildlife biologist.
Read the blog.
Annual forum highlights forest products
On Sept. 17, Forest Economic Advisors (FEA) will host the ninth annual Forest Products Forum at the World Forestry Center in Portland, highlighting a forward-looking analysis of the timber and wood product sectors.
On the same day, the World Forestry Center will host an opening reception for its Who Will Own the Forest? conference, which runs through Sept. 19. The conference will offer perspectives on institutional timberland investing, both domestically and overseas. Register for one or both of these events
here.
Annual Oregon Coastal Caucus Economic Summit
The Oregon Legislative Coastal Caucus will hold the eighth annual Oregon Coastal Caucus Economic Summit (OCCES) on August 21-22 in Florence. The summit will cover water and public-private partnerships for infrastructure construction projects, Oregon’s education consistencies for infrastructure and more.
Register now.
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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 © 2019, Oregon Forest Resources Institute. All Rights Reserved.
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