Forest Research Laboratory

Led by OSU Extension Fire Program, statewide campaign prepares Oregonians for wildfire

In addition to climate change and a century of vegetation buildup, people contribute to wildfires more than ever. This is especially true as they move into houses that were built next to forest and agricultural lands where ...

OSU Extension Fire Program shares benefits of prescribed burning

For thousands of years, fire supported environmental health in many parts of Oregon through both natural occurrences and cultural practices of Indigenous peoples. But after more than a century of fires being suppressed, Oregon’s ...

Master Woodland Managers educate on the environment in eastern Oregon

Oregon's small woodland owners manage almost 4.5 million acres – or 40% of all private forestland in the state. In Baker and Grant counties, private owners manage 150,000 acres, providing substantial contributions to local ...

Woodland Pollinator Stewards enhance bee habitat on private lands

Pollinator health has captured the interest of the country as people become concerned about dwindling populations of bees. Oregon forests are home to an estimated 300 native bee species but there’s much to learn about their ...

Extension outreach results in thousands of seedlings planted in fire-scarred Jackson County

Following the 2020 Labor Day wildfires that burned more than 1 million acres in Oregon, it became apparent that enough resources for recovery didn’t match the need. For example, there was a high need for tree seedlings to ...

OSU Extension helps assess need for seedlings for fire-affected landowners

More than 180,000 acres of family-owned forestland were affected by the devastating 2020 Oregon wildfires. Many of the more than 5,000 owners are finding it almost impossible to find seedlings or tree planters to reforest their ...

OSU Get Outdoors Day connects families to the natural world

An Oregon State University Extension Service survey showed underserved families and children in Benton County and other areas of the mid-Willamette Valley have limited opportunities to visit natural areas because they don’t have ...

Forestry Extension assists state with monitoring the invasive spongy moth

The spongy moth (formerly known as gypsy moth), which is defoliating trees in the northeastern United States, hasn’t been found in Oregon – but it’s important to keep the moth out of the state. This invasive insect ...

Tree School Online helps woodland owners during COVID-19

More than 79,000 family forest owners in Oregon manage 3.6 million acres of private forestland, providing substantial economic, social and ecological value. Surveys show that landowner goals are diverse, as are the challenges they ...

Born from necessity, Extension wildflower videos viewed hundreds of times

Each year, Rachel Werling, an instructor in the Oregon State University Forestry and Natural Resources Extension program, leads groups on hikes in in southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley to teach them about natural history, fire ...