Education Update-Spring 2025
As the Outreach and Education Leader, I not only have the exceptional privilege of teaching children about their connection to the world, but I can be very much involved in hands-on efforts like surveying for flora and fauna, restoring ecosystems, and taking volunteers into the field to actively participate in restoration efforts.
For the last 6 months, Umpqua Watersheds has been involved in a project to survey beaver presence in the West Fork Cow Creek as part of a Drinking Water Provider Partnership grant. In addition to giving volunteers and others a chance to get involved, this work enables Umpqua Watersheds to be actively involved in survey and restoration efforts on the ground. As per beaver survey protocol, the surveys must occur between September and December each year. We have wrapped up one season and will resume work again next season. It was a fantastic and exciting season! What an inspirational way
to learn new things and allow individuals to experience on-the-ground work to see if it might fit their future career plans.
Closer to home, we are engaged in amphibian and invasive species survey work in wetlands in the area. The Applegate wetland has been the focus of a five-year effort to remove invasive species, such as bass, bullfrogs, and yellow flag Iris, to protect and restore native species. The Northern Red-legged frog, as is the western pond turtle, is a sensitive species in the wetland. The bass and bullfrog are both voracious predators of these natives. The Yellow Flag Iris is a highly aggressive plant native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. It outcompetes native plants, alters the structure of wetland habitats, and can lead to changes in water chemistry by reducing oxygen and disrupting nutrient cycling. As with all invasive species, they are notoriously difficult to remove once they have a foothold.
Many invasive species reproduce quickly and in large numbers. They thrive because they find themselves in an environment with few, if any, natural predators or diseases to control their population. Invasive species are also highly adaptable to new environments and can survive a wide range of changing conditions that many native species cannot, since natives are more specialized to their habitat and less flexible to alterations. 
Many invasive species reproduce quickly and in large numbers.
They thrive because they find themselves in an environment with few, if any, natural predators or diseases to control their population. Invasive species are also highly adaptable to new environments and can survive a wide range of changing conditions that many native species cannot, since natives are more specialized to their habitat and less flexible to alterations.
Whether I bring educational experiences to kids in the classroom or take others out into the field to experience hands-on education, I am committed to fostering a deeper understanding of the environment through diverse outreach efforts that inspire connection, stewardship, and action. We are dedicated to understanding the Umpqua Watershed’s science, focusing on how humans fit into this environment and the responsibility we bear for its health.
We always welcome volunteers to join us in our efforts, whether it’s helping to educate kids about the natural world or diving into hands-on restoration work. Your involvement makes a meaningful impact, and together, we can continue to inspire the next generation and support the health of our ecosystems!
