EPA grant gets Central Oregon students outdoors

In September, the Children’s Forest of Central Oregon was awarded one of four Environmental Education grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the Pacific Northwest, which will expand outdoor learning opportunities available to students in Central Oregon.

Specifically, the $95,760 grant focuses on teaching students about the Oregon spotted frog, a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Through after-school clubs, field trips and family programs, students will work together to restore local watersheds and develop a deeper sense of environmental stewardship, ultimately improving critical habitat in the Upper Deschutes for the Oregon spotted frog.

Melissa Wikler’s Animal Science class at Marshall High School is one of 28 classes that will participate in nature-based field trips as part of the Upper Deschutes Spotted Frog Stewardship grant. Her students spent a day conducting experiments at Tumalo Creek with Upper Deschutes Watershed Council Education Coordinator Alyssa Grove, and will continue their program at the Ryan Ranch Restoration Project in the spring.

On this field trip, students took surveys of Tumalo Creek’s riparian zone to monitor water quality and sampled aquatic organisms. Students also participated in an Oregon spotted frog art activity.

“I’ve been involved in outdoor education for over 10 years now,” Grove said. “I love showing kids things they have never seen, or maybe never even thought about before. Giving them these new experiences is such a fun way to engage them in learning.”

“Field trips outside are fun because they get you in an adventure spirit,” said Courtney Wade, a senior. “I think coming out here inspires a lot of kids to go into jobs helping the environment.”

Wikler strives to get her students out on as many field trips as possible. She and her husband are avid mountain bikers and backpackers who moved to Bend last year.

“As a teacher, I try to share my passion for nature with my students. Exploring the outdoors in a structured learning setting is really important because it teaches them about stewardship and respect for the land. Once they realize how special these places are, they start to form their own personal connections with nature.”

“I really like having class outside,” said Emily Rose, a freshman. “Something about the fresh, crisp air makes me feel better. It clears my head.”

In addition to field trips led by the Upper Deschutes Water Council, the EPA Environmental Education Grant will fund educational stewardship programs with Trout Unlimited and High Desert Museum, including new afterschool clubs at local middle schools and family programs.

This grant is one way that the Children’s Forest of Central Oregon increases the capacity of our region to provide educational and recreational experiences in nature through collaborative projects with their network of partners.

For more information, contact Katie Chipko, Children’s Forest of Central Oregon executive director, at (541) 383-5592 or katie@childrensforestco.org.