The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) works with area schools and partner natural resource organizations to give Clatsop County sixth graders hands–on experience in possible careers related to the forest. The Clatsop County Forestry Days have been led by ODF since 1960 and bring together a group of local dedicated volunteers to share their professional expertise and enthusiasm.
“Our sole focus is on the students,” said Brad Catton, Operations Coordinator for ODF’s Astoria District. “We give them a hands-on taste of what type of careers they could have related to the forests.”
The two-day event held Sept. 20 and 21 at ODF’s Demonstration Forest and Arboretum adjacent to the Clatsop County Fairgrounds and ODF’s district offices features eight learning stations including: wildland firefighting, tree planting, wood products, wildlife rescue, fisheries, recreation, tree measurements and mushrooms.
“This is fantastic—getting the kids outside and to see the work people in their community do every day,” said O’Brien Starr-Hollow, a sixth-grade teacher in the Warrenton school district. “Several of my students’ families make a living from the sea—so to have a fisheries station and then the other stations demonstrating how healthy forests support spawning salmon and other wildlife can really make an impact on them.”
That impact combines the physical actions of pushing on shovels to plant seedlings to pulling on a fire hose nozzle handle to put out a “wildfire” with the mental mindset that they can make a difference.
“We try to make it fun,” said Andres Lopez as he set up the cut out wooden flame the kids try to squirt and knock down with the water coming out of the fire hose. Lopez, a Forest Officer for ODF’s Astoria district, also gave the students a hands-on demo of other common firefighting equipment. “At the same time we talk about the hard work it takes to do these sorts of jobs well,” said Lopez.
“I knew John as a neighbor and attended this event when I was in sixth grade and it helped inspire me to get my Forestry Degree from Oregon State (University) and work in forestry,” said Johnson. “John has passed away, but his vision and passion lives on through this event.”
Women in Timber have been one of the partners that make Forestry Days a success.
“This is truly a team effort,” said Catton. “Women in Timber, Clatsop County Fisheries, Hampton Lumber, Coast Wildlife, ODF and many other organizations and people have contributed to the success of this program over the years, and we thank them for supporting our local students.”
Although this event is just two days the ODF Astoria Demonstration Forest is open year round and more information can be found in the Clatsop State Forest Guide.
Visit the Oregon Department of Forestry’s main website for more information on many forest related programs from recreation to timber harvesting to wildland firefighting.
