Curry

Using science to inform policy for a wildfire-adapted Oregon

In response to longer and more severe wildfire seasons, a growing population living in the wildland-urban interface and the extensive impacts of the 2020 Labor Day fires, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 762 in 2021, ...

Sep 2024 | Impact Story

OSU Extension Fire Program fosters place-based partnerships

As a land grant university, Oregon State University takes research and innovation out of the labs and puts them into practice in the communities and landscapes around the state through Extension programs. While OSU’s influence ...

Aug 2024 | Impact Story

Exploring biochar as an alternative sudden oak death treatment

Sudden oak death disease has killed thousands of tanoaks on Oregon’s south coast. Since it was detected in Oregon in 2001, the standard practice to help slow the spread of the pathogen that causes the disease has been ...

Apr 2024 | Impact Story

Oregon Sea Grant research cruises hook students on marine science

To keep pace with the workforce demands of the 21st century, there’s a growing need to provide students with immersive STEM experiences, including in marine science. To meet this need, since 2016 Oregon Sea Grant Extension ...

Apr 2024 | Impact Story

Sea Grant Extension makes fishermen aware of gear that keeps seabirds from getting hooked on fishing lines

To catch black cod, halibut and other fish, some fishing boats set a long line of baited hooks on the seafloor. But seabirds, including the endangered short-tailed albatross, can get caught if they try to steal the bait ...

Apr 2024 | Impact Story

Stinging nettle publication uplifts importance of Indigenous ‘superfood’

Stinging nettle is a plant that can sting and cause welts, but when the sting is removed a traditional “superfood” emerges. Native Indigenous peoples have gathered stinging nettles since time immemorial. They can be used ...

Mar 2024 | Impact Story

OSU Extension provides leadership for statewide Outdoor School

Outdoor School is a transformative, immersive experience that instills environmental literacy and positive learning behaviors in students. It also encourages a belief that Oregon is a special place, with ecosystems they can enjoy and...

Mar 2024 | Impact Story

Sea Grant Extension helps boaters agree on best practices for watching whales

About 20,000 gray whales migrate past the Oregon Coast each year, of which about 200 stick around for the summer to feed. They share the water with whale-watching charters, recreational boaters and commercial fishermen. Data had...

Mar 2024 | Impact Story

Sea Grant Extension documents whale movements to mitigate entanglements

Entanglement in fishing gear is a major threat to whales. It can cause drowning and infections and impair their ability to swim or eat. In 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed 28 entangled ...

Mar 2024 | Impact Story

OSU Extension Master Gardener Program increases diversity, equity and inclusivity

With 2,400 volunteers in 28 counties across the state, the 47-year-old Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener program made contact with at least 105,000 Oregonians in 2023. Traditionally, the structure and delivery ...

Feb 2024 | Impact Story