Across Jackson County and much of Oregon, restoration and conservation projects often outpace the funding and staff capacity needed to monitor them. At the same time, high school students beginning to consider their future career options may not be aware of careers in environmental science or understand where to begin.
The program strengthens community partnerships, provides useable data for natural resource management projects that often, would not be available otherwise, and prepares youths for careers that benefit Oregon’s environment and economy.
The Student Watershed Assessment Teams program addresses both needs by engaging youths in hands-on monitoring while helping agencies and organizations collect critical field data.
The program is a field-based learning partnership between the Logos Public Charter School and Oregon State University’s Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center and funded through the Jackson Soil and Water Conservation District.
Since 2014, OSU Extension Service has provided leadership, scientific guidance and coordination to ensure student work meets professional monitoring standards and supports regional restoration goals.
Working with Logos science teacher Chris VanNess, the program selects 12–15 students each year through a competitive application process. Students participate in field excursions across diverse ecosystems, including subalpine forests, oak woodlands and riparian areas.
Participants collect and analyze data on water quality, sedimentation, erosion, soils, vegetation and forest conditions. They also learn technical skills such as GPS use, photo monitoring and plant identification.
Expanding learning and leadership opportunities
Students present their findings at the end of the academic year to the Jackson Soil and Water Conservation District, and their data is shared with partner organizations for use in restoration and research efforts.
Returning students have opportunities to deepen their skills through special projects focused on additional career pathways in natural resources. These projects include GIS mapping, teaching younger students and leading peer monitoring activities in the field and taking on individual monitoring projects outside of the team site visits.
In the 2025-26 program year, 14 students participated, half of whom were returning students who took on leadership roles and advanced projects.
Supporting restoration across the region
Student-collected data continues to play an important role in local restoration and monitoring efforts. In recent years, students have contributed to projects including:
- Monitoring vegetation and water quality at a riparian restoration project along Cheney Creek on the Pacific Botanicals property.
- Measuring soil and vegetation impacts following cattle exclusion in the Big Springs watershed, a key water source for Medford and surrounding communities.
- Collecting water quality and revegetation data along Bear Creek for the Rogue Valley Council of Governments.
- Identifying and monitoring legacy oaks on Table Rocks with The Nature Conservancy
- Monitoring water quality and beaver dam analogs in subalpine meadows with Vesper Meadows.
These efforts help partner organizations fill critical data gaps while advancing ongoing restoration work.
Public value
By connecting students with hands-on environmental monitoring, OSU Extension is helping build a skilled future workforce while supporting restoration efforts across Southern Oregon.
The program strengthens community partnerships, provides useable data for natural resource management projects that often, would not be available otherwise, and prepares youths for careers that benefit Oregon’s environment and economy.