America Recycles Day is Next Sunday!
At the school where I used to teach, many of the students that I taught – and families that I worked with – didn’t recycle. I think many saw it as a status thing; to them, reducing and reusing was for people who didn’t have enough money to buy more, buy new, buy whatever they [...]
Bat Week
October 24th-31st is known as “Bat Week”. As we gear up for Halloween, I wanted to share a few facts about one “spooky” species – bats.
According to Oregon’s Department of Fish & Wildlife, Oregon is home to 15 different species of bats, all of which eat insects. There are a lot of misconceptions [...]
What a Wonderful Day for a Hike
On Saturday, I got my first real taste of Oregon wilderness. Umpqua Watersheds led a hike to Rogue River/Natural Bridge, and we enjoyed an abundance of natural beauty at every turn. I began learning the names of some of the native flora, and enjoyed seeing the diverse array of trees and other plants all around [...]
Flavors of Autumn
There are so many ways to live lightly on the earth. Each year when fall comes around, I’m eager to partake in one of them – locally grown fruits and vegetables. You don’t have to be vegan or vegetarian to enjoy a meatless recipe. There’s an abundance of non-meat recipes, from hearty soups to salads [...]
New Opportunities to Get Involved
We are excited to announce that we have new opportunities for you and your family to get involved with Umpqua Watersheds! Starting this month, we will be hosting two book clubs and a contest!
Book Clubs
- For the youngest readers, check out our Little Leaves page to find books and art projects that match [...]
Serving a Watershed-Based Organization: Why Natural Boundaries Matter
Published September 28th, 2020This is my second term of AmeriCorps and the second term in which my host site is focused at the watershed level. Last year, people often expressed confusion about what a watershed is, and why an organization would establish themselves based on such a region. Put simply, a “watershed” is all of the land area [...]
The Importance of Peace
Published September 21st, 2020Typically, my Home Explorer activities will primarily focus on scientific or environmental exploration, so why did I choose to have the most recent set of activities relate to interconnectedness and peace? Today, September 21st, is the International Day of Peace, and this year, it is falling at a time in most people’s lives that feels [...]
Umpqua Watersheds President Ken Carloni will be on a panel discussion about wildlfires.
Published September 21st, 2020Wildfires in 2020: What set the stage for this historic event and what can we expect in the future?
The fires that broke out and spread across nearly 1 million acres of western Oregon this month are terrifying and devastating. We know from forest research and history that western Oregon’s forest ecosystems naturally burn. But [...]
From one AmeriCorps to the Next…
Published September 15th, 2020By Robyn Bath-Rosenfeld
My last day as Umpqua Watershed’s AmeriCorps was on July 31st, 2020. While we couldn’t have a big goodbye party, or attend Twin Lakes Campout or River Appreciation Day, I still had a lot to celebrate. Today’s article is my service’s highlight-reel, a chance to demonstrate the opportunities my position [...]
From one AmeriCorps to the Next
Published September 7th, 2020By Robyn Bath-Rosenfeld
My last day as Umpqua Watershed’s AmeriCorps was on July 31st, 2020. While we couldn’t have a big goodbye party, or attend Twin Lakes Campout or River Appreciation Day, I still had a lot to celebrate. Today’s article is my service’s highlight-reel, a chance to demonstrate the opportunities my position [...]
The next…
Published September 5th, 2020Ryan Kincaid is a native of the Finger Lakes region of New York. From an early age, she loved to explore the woods, creek, and lake and observe the numerous frogs, chipmunks, and other wildlife near her grandparents’ cottage. Ryan earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in Environmental Studies and a Master of Arts in Teaching [...]
AmeriCorps Education Update..Summer 2020
Published June 18th, 2020AmeriCorps: Education Spotlight.. Robyn Bath-RosenfeldThis Spring, Umpqua Watersheds’ is working hard to continue education and outreach during Stay at Home orders. In March, we began our @Home Explorer Series to bring outdoor-minded activities to Umpqua youth at home. Three new activities are posted weekly on our website, with topics ranging from birds to slugs [...]
Umpqua Watersheds is accepting applications for their 2020-2021 AmeriCorps Environmental Education Position
Published May 16th, 2020Update: We are no longer accepting applications. We have filled the position.
Please go to the link below to apply for the position through United Communities AmeriCorps.
2020_UCA_-_Umpqua_Watersheds_Environmental_Education__Outreach_Leader
Home Explorer Series launched today!
Published April 6th, 2020I’m so excited to unveil our new Home Explorer series! This is something I’ve been working on for a few weeks and learning all kinds of new skills in online learning and website design! I look forward to getting feedback and watching this portal grow every week. I know that there are so many online [...]
AmeriCorps: Education Spotlight
Published March 16th, 2020by Robyn Bath-Rosenfeld
The New Year is off to an amazing start in my role as the Environmental Educator and Outreach Leader. On January 20th for MLK Day, I organized our annual river clean up with fellow-AmeriCorps Janelle Polcyn from the BlueZones Project. At Gaddis Park in Roseburg, over [...]
Supplied with gratitude!
Published March 13th, 2020It may not look like much, but these two shelves constitute all of the amazing supplies I use every day to run our environmental education programs. These resources have been cumulated over years thanks to the dedication of our AmeriCorps program, the amazing support of donors and grantors like the Gray Family Foundation. We are [...]
Catching up with our AmeriCorps educator
Published February 20th, 2020Our 2019-2020 AmeriCorps, Robyn, has been hard at work the last 6 months running environmental education programs throughout Douglas County! She’s taught at 7 different schools and engaged with over 500 youth in the district. Through the Science Wednesday after-school program for 5th graders, Robyn has recently been found at Fir Grove Elementary, Lookingglass Elementary, [...]
AmeriCorps: Education Spotlight
Published December 6th, 2019For those of you who don’t know me, I am Robyn Bath-Rosenfeld, the new Environmental Educator and Outreach AmeriCorps at UW. My first three months in this position have just flown by and I am loving the chance to work with such amazing youth across multiple school districts in Douglas County. Since September I [...]
Edutourism
Published September 24th, 2019EDUCATION REPORT: Is the Time Right for a UW Edutourism Initiative?
The following two short-term activities are listed in Umpqua Watersheds’ strategic plan for our Education program:
“Conduct feasibility study re: infrastructure necessary for Educational Ecotourism.”
“Acquire a vehicle(s) for field trips and ecotourism in the Umpqua [...]
Umpqua Watersheds AmeriCorps in the news!
Published August 2nd, 2019While winding down their service at Umpqua Watersheds, Maris Wilson and Christine Smith were certainly not winding down their activities. Two big weekends full of activity mark the end of their service. Check out the article in the News Review.
