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Connections with the Natural World in Action

One of the Oregon Coast’s most beloved summer camps gets a facelift, ensuring many more summers of life-changing adventures.

Camp Kiwanilong is a place where kids still jump into lakes, take archery lessons, sing around the campfire and come home with nicknames like “Roadrunner” and “Quack.”

Summer after summer, kids return to “Camp K” to experience adventure, friendship and a strong sense of belonging—all in a rustic, natural setting. 

Located southwest of Astoria, Camp Kuwonilong is nestled on 270 acres between Long Lake and a wooded area bordering the mighty Pacific Ocean.

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Teachers as Watershed Students

With the help of a kick net, teachers Gerhard Behrens and Susan Reeves sampled Wells Creek for aquatic invertebrates as part of a 4 day “Watershed Teacher Workshop,” put on by Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE) and Marys River Watershed Council with funding by Gray Family Foundation.

“I felt like a student and an honored teacher during the week.  We were challenged to learn new things, just as we challenge our own students,” said Mr. Behrens. 

16 teaches from the Corvallis School District and nearby rural schools, conducted macro invertebrate and stream health sampling from...

Local Educators Integrate Sustainability into Education

Twenty educators from public and private schools in Central Oregon gathered at The Environmental Center last week to prepare to integrate sustainability into their teaching and prepare their buildings to reduce waste and energy use. The training program was provided with funding from the Gray Family Foundation and was designed to give teachers the tools and support to make changes at their schools with students on a green team. This cohort will meet two more times throughout the 2015-2016 school year to share their successes and challenges with creating sustainable schools and get ideas...

Teens in the Umpqua Explorers program gain self-confidence, friendships, and knowledge of the natural world.

Growing up in the lush Umpqua River Valley, a teenager might take for granted the rich natural heritage in his or her backyard.

The Douglas County Museum aims to change that.

“The museum is all about inspiring our community to see the big picture, and to feel like they're connected to each other and to the environment,” says Kelly Hibbert, Museum Education Coordinator.

For the past seven summers, Hibbert has led groups of 13- to 17-year-olds to...
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