Forestry for the Classroom
Spring, 2022
NEW! INVESTIGATE THE FOREST: JOURNAL PAGES FOR OREGON OUTDOOR SCHOOLS
The new Investigate the Forest journal pages are intended to guide students in learning about Oregon’s forests while they explore the outdoors. They offer hands-on, student-centered ways to study the forest or other natural environments just outside their door, and may be used before, during or after attending an Outdoor School program – to enhance students’ understanding of Oregon’s forests and how they’re a vital resource. Each journal page is designed to stand alone, but may be used in conjunction with other pages in a learning progression. Individual pages can be printed for students to add to their Outdoor School journals, or they can be printed and stapled together as a complete set.

SUMMER AND FALL WORKSHOPS
Summer High School Teacher Forestry Tour: Fire 

Dates & Times:
Tuesday, June 21, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. AND Wednesday, June 22, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. 

Format & Length:
In-person, two consecutive days. Participants should plan to attend both days

Location:
Southern Oregon (Rogue River/Gold Hill area)

Audience:
High school natural resources and environmental science educators. 

Curriculum:
FireBright (modules include Living in the Era of Megafire; Forests in a Wildfire Prone Environment; Exploring Wildfire; Wildland Firefighting; and Protecting your Community from Fire)

Description:
Would you like to know more about wildfire ecology, fire resiliency and natural resource careers? Tour Southern Oregon fire sites and learn how to incorporate and apply a knowledge of fire related to Oregon forests, forest practices and community resources in your classroom. Connections will be made to the FireBright curriculum modules and other resources through hands-on field activities. 
  • Lodging and mileage costs will be reimbursed, meals (light breakfast, lunch and snacks) during the professional development will be provided. 
  • Participants must be comfortable with uneven terrain, stairs, porta-potties and light hiking. 
  • Due to parking limitations, participants will not be allowed to drive private vehicles to field lab sites; they will be transported in vans. 

Registration required. Space is limited to 20 participants. Offered at no cost to formal and nonformal Oregon educators. PDUs available. 


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Early Learner Series, August 2022 
Each of the two online workshops in this series is a standalone workshop; educators are encouraged to register for one or both.

Workshop 1: Connecting Early Learners to Nature through Growing Up WILD

Date:
August 2 and 4, 2022

Time:
10:00 a.m. - noon, PDT, both days (participants should plan to attend both days) 

Format & Length:
Online, 4 hours, plus self-paced work

Audience:
Formal and nonformal educators who work with early learners, children ages 1 to 6.

Curriculum: Project WILD’s Growing Up WILD guide

Workshop 2: Connecting Early Learners to Nature through Project Learning Tree 

Date:
August 11 and 12, 2022

Time:
10:00 a.m. - noon, PDT, both days (participants should plan to attend both days) 

Format & Length:
Online, 4 hours, plus self-paced work 

Audience:
Formal and nonformal educators who work with early learners, children ages 1 to 6.

Curriculum:
Project Learning Tree’s Environmental Experiences for Early Learners 

Registration Required.
Offered at no cost to formal and nonformal Oregon educators. PDUs available. Registration will close approximately one to two weeks prior to the workshop, or when it’s full.


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Trauma-Informed Strategies and Tools for Environmental Educators 

Date & Time:
September 22, 3:30-6:00 p.m., PDT

Format:
Online, 2.5 hours

Audience:
All formal and nonformal educators; open to all grade levels

Description:
In early 2022, ONREP published the Trauma-Informed Toolkit - A Resource for Educators. It’s a resource document on trauma and trauma resilience, including practical strategies and tools for educators, plus an example of applying a trauma-informed lens to a fire ecology lesson plan.

In this workshop educators will have the opportunity to discuss, practice and apply some of the strategies and tools mentioned in the toolkit.

Registration Required.
Offered at no cost to formal and nonformal Oregon educators. PDUs available. Substitute reimbursement available on teacher workdays.


OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
Summer Agriculture Institute 2022

West Session:
June 19-24 in Corvallis; or

East Session:
July 17-22 in La Grande

Summer Agriculture Institute is a week-long professional development opportunity with two session options (see dates above). All participants receive 3.0 graduate level credits and have the opportunity to tour farms, network with agricultural professionals and colleagues, and connect concepts to classroom curriculum. Cost to attend is $600 per participant (lodging, transportation and food provided). 

Scholarships available; inquire by email to sai.west@oregonstate.edu. You can find a copy of the application linked here for your reference. 

This is a collaborative professional development from Oregon State University and the Oregon Agricultural Education Foundation. 

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Bonneville Dam Educator Workshop

Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022

Join Corps of Engineers Park Rangers at Bonneville Dam, in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, on Wednesday, August 17 to learn about and explore the agency’s interrelationship with natural and manmade resources. Discover ways to supplement your school curricula with virtual and in-person field trips to multipurpose dams, complete with lesson plans, videos, activities and more! Explore our special event opportunities, water safety education materials and the Junior Ranger and Every Kid in a Park (federal park pass) programs. In addition, a special guest presenter from the National Wildlife Federation will share resources from the Fish Eggs to Fry: Eco-Schools Salmon Stewards program. Intended for third- to eighth-grade educators. 

For more information, view workshop details and please register here.

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2022 Conference - COASTAL RE-CONNECTIONS: OUTDOOR EXPLORATIONS FROM THE FOREST TO THE SEA

August 6-10, 2022

Welcome to NAME 2022 Coastal Re-Connections: Outdoor Explorations from the Forest to the Sea! After spending two years teaching and learning virtually, we feel it’s time to reconnect with our colleagues and the environments we love. Netarts Bay, Oregon, is the perfect location for our Outdoor NAME 2022 Conference. Nestled between Cape Meares and Cape Lookout, this community offers opportunities to explore and learn about coastal dynamics, including the impacts of climate change and the connections between our fresh and saltwater communities.

Full details: 
About OFRI
The Oregon Forest Resources Institute supports and enhances Oregon’s forest products industry by advancing public understanding of forests, forest management and forest products.

A 13-member board of directors governs OFRI. It is funded by a portion of the forest products harvest tax.

For information about OFRI's educational programs, contact:

Norie Dimeo-Ediger
Director of K-12 Education Programs
971-673-2956

Rikki Heath
Environmental Educator
503-799-4792