Education | Umpqua Watersheds

May I introduce.. Usnea Lichen?

Published December 7th, 2025

It’s a plant… ? It’s an animal… ? This beautiful and mysterious structure is classified by a fungal partner, so it’s actually a combination of an algae and a fungus. The fungus provides a structure for the algae to live in, while the algae provides food for the fungus. And [...]

May I introduce, the Yellow Bellied Marmot??

Published December 7th, 2025

What do you do on Groundhog’s Day when you don’t have a local groundhog?? For that matter, what did early American colonists do without a hedgehog? Because the hedgehog was the original hibernating mammal used in Europe to predict the arrival of spring, early Pennsylvania Germans had a quandary when they came [...]

May I introduce…. The most ghostly of flowers???

Published December 7th, 2025

‘Saprophytic plants’ are those fascinating ghost like outliers of the plant kingdom that defy the norm and thrive without the need for photosynthesis! These pale beauties have no chlorophyll and no hint of green. Instead, they are shrouded in hues of white and pink. Without chlorophyll, they are unable to get [...]

May I introduce, the Yellow Spotted Millipede?

Published December 7th, 2025

This brightly speckled little mulch muncher plays a vital role in the redistribution of organic material in the forest ecosystem. As is often true in nature, bright colors warn of danger, and indeed, this critter is protected by toxic cyanide. The amount secreted is not normally medically significant to humans, and in fact, [...]

May I introduce, the otherworldly ‘By the Wind Sailor’?

Published December 7th, 2025

This fascinating ocean traveler, more formally known as the Vellela, is a ‘cosmopolitan free floating hydrozoan’ that lives on the surface of the open ocean. In biogeography, ‘cosmopolitan’ refers to a range of taxon that extends across most of the world. This is a member of the Cnidaria phylum (making it very [...]

May I introduce (the much maligned…) Turkey Vulture??

Published December 7th, 2025

This magnificent harbinger of Spring doesn’t often get the respect it deserves. Arriving in spring in many areas, including the beautiful Umpqua Watershed, after spending the winter in Baja Mexico and California, the Turkey Vulture (TV) gets its name from the fact that the head is hairless and red, just like a [...]

May I introduce, the beautiful rosy colored Pacific Sideband snail?

Published December 7th, 2025

This is the largest native terrestrial land snail in British Columbia. While aquatic snails have gills, this is one of the ‘pulmanate’ snails that has evolved its mantle cavity into a lung and breathes through a single opening on the right side of its body. The beautiful pink and red body is [...]

May I introduce… the snake with all sizzle but very little snap?

Published December 7th, 2025

The bull snake, also known as the gopher snake, is a rather hefty, formidable looking member of the North American constrictor family. With a potential length of 8 feet and a color pattern resembling a rattlesnake, this snake looks intimidating but has no venom. It constricts its prey instead. It gets his name [...]

May I introduce, the Magnificent Bryozoan??

Published December 7th, 2025

How cool must you be to be labeled magnificent??? Pectinatella magnifica is a species of freshwater bryozoan in the class of Phylactolaemata. As such, these are microscopic aquatic invertebrates that live in colonies, building exoskeletons similar to those of corals. Most live under the surface of the water, attached to rocks or branches. Their [...]

May I introduce, the Black Tailed Jackrabbit?

Published December 7th, 2025

Watership Down lives! One of my favorite books ever, I’ve read Watership Down at least a dozen times. What a fascinating glimpse into social, political and philosophical issues. As a youngster, it never occurred to me to question if the characters in the novel were rabbits or hares. Turns out, they were European Rabbits. [...]

May I Introduce … the Western Fence Lizard?

Published December 7th, 2025

Though a rather common lizard of the western United States, this beautiful medium sized lizard has some superhero powers. A member of the spiny lizard family, fence lizards have spiny grey, tan or brown scales with a white or yellow underside. Males often boast a beautiful blue belly or throat.

[...]

Education Update Winter 2025

Published December 5th, 2025

Lifelong Learning: A Foundation for Our Future

by Julie Lowe

UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) identifies lifelong learning as a human right and calls it the foundation of a “learning society.” Lifelong learning is the idea that education isn’t a stage of life, but rather a way of life. It recognizes [...]

Education Update Fall 2025

Published September 5th, 2025

Growing Stewardship in the Umpqu

Exciting News! In partnership with the Oregon State University Extension office, Umpqua Watersheds will design and facilitate the field course for the Master Naturalists program in Southern Oregon. We’re pleased to announce this brand-new initiative, which will enable Umpqua Watersheds to take a hands-on, integral role in shaping [...]

AmeriCorps Update Summer 2025

Published September 5th, 2025

Eastwood Nature Days: Engaging Students with Hands-On Learning

For the second year in a row, Umpqua Watersheds hosted the long-running Eastwood Nature Days, a week-long celebration of nature science in the watershed attended by all Roseburg 3rd-grade public school students. Since taking on this fun and inspirational week, we’ve made a serious effort to expand [...]

Education Update Summer 2025

Published September 5th, 2025

Environmental Conservation & Education

As spring arrives in the Pacific Northwest, wildlife begin seasonal migrations that are essential to their life cycles. For the Northern red-legged frog (Rana aurora), this means an annual journey from upland forests to wetlands and breeding ponds. After the breeding season, they make the same arduous journey back to [...]

Federal Cuts Devastate Umpqua Watersheds AmeriCorps Environmental Education Program

Published May 2nd, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Federal Cuts Devastate AmeriCorps Environmental Education in Douglas County

Umpqua Watersheds Calls on Community to Stand with Umpqua Community Action Network, (UCAN), Students, Service Members, and Our Planet

Roseburg, OR – May 2, 2025 — In an abrupt and devastating move, the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has [...]

Education Update Spring 2025

Published March 7th, 2025

By Jessica Saxton

Education Committee Article- Spring & Summer Program Updates

As we welcome the changing seasons, we are excited to share several upcoming programs and opportunities designed to engage and inspire our youth in nature, education, and community service. We also have some great volunteer opportunities and updates on schools receiving educational programming. [...]

Education Update-Spring 2025

Published March 7th, 2025

By Julie Lowe

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.

[...]

AmeriCorps Update & Education Winter 2024

Published December 9th, 2024

There’s nothing more transformative than getting kids out of the classroom and into the natural world. Hands-on, in-the-field experiences allow them to connect with the environment in ways that lectures and textbooks can’t replicate. From flipping logs to reveal salamanders, to searching for bugs, snails, and small crustaceans in the stream bed, to discovering a [...]

Education Update

Published September 16th, 2024

By Cindy Haws…

Environmental education programs, beaver surveys persevere in fire season Expanding their horizons We had a wonderful three-day outdoor nature camp in July in partnership with the Cow Creek Tribe of Umpqua Indians’ Expanding Horizons program, Umpqua Natural Leadership Science Hub and Umpqua Audubon. We have gotten to know these young people and [...]