Environmental Health

More than 600 fifth-graders learn importance of Oregon’s forests from OSU Extension

Oregon’s forests, an economic and recreational powerhouse, can be a topic of contention. Information – and sometimes misinformation – filters down to children, who when misinformed may grow up with distrust in the state’s ...

Mar 2023 | Impact Story

Sagebrush in Prison Project teaches inmates horticulture and conservation

Climate change, drought, land use and wildfire on the sagebrush-steppe ecosystem of western United States negatively impact the iconic sage-grouse, which has seen its population decline over the decades. Although there are efforts to...

Mar 2023 | Impact Story

OSU researchers patent new packaging material made from food waste

It is estimated that 30-40% of food in the US is wasted, creating approximately 170 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and fostering climate change. When juiced, only 70-75% of the fruit is used, which means the...

Oct 2022 | Impact Story

OSU partners with Yurok Tribe for Klamath River dam removal study to address water quantity and quality

The Yurok tribe – the largest indigenous tribe in California and the original inhabitants of the Klamath Basin – has partnered with Oregon State University researchers to have a voice in matters affecting their home. Tribal ...

Oct 2022 | Impact Story

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 ...

May 2022 | Impact Story

Warm Springs students explore ecology in collaboration with OSU Extension

There’s concern among tribal members of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs that youths aren’t getting enough outdoor and science educational opportunities, especially opportunities with connections to tribal culture, values and ...

May 2022 | Impact Story

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 ...

Feb 2023 | Impact Story

Eastern Oregon landowners equipped to better manage their forests through OSU Extension outreach

Eastern Oregon landowners have a wide range of needs that make managing the region’s diverse forests challenging. Getting individualized information on topics such as timber production, grazing, wildlife habitat, forest health ...

Feb 2023 | Impact Story

Clackamas County youths reconnect with outdoors through OSU Extension forestry education programs

By the summer of 2021, after more than a year of remote learning due to COVID-19, many Clackamas County elementary and middle school students hadn’t experienced hands-on enrichment activities and field trips that enhance ...

Mar 2022 | Impact Story

Extension research finds dormant-season grazing might keep wildfire at bay

Since 2010, nearly 2.5 million acres have burned in wildfires in and around Malheur County in eastern Oregon, devastating the natural and working landscapes and negatively impacting agricultural resilience and competitiveness. In ...

Mar 2022 | Impact Story