The Oregon State University Extension Service and community partners are offering the 2026 Southwest Oregon Field Experience, a multi-session field course exploring the ecology, landscapes and natural history of the Umpqua Basin and Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains.
Part of the Oregon Naturalist Program, the course brings together local experts and community members for a series of field days across Southwest Oregon. Participants will follow the Umpqua River from the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific Ocean while learning about native plants and wildlife, fire ecology, forest ecology and management, oak woodland restoration, and the role of Indigenous cultures in shaping regional landscapes.
The course includes eight field sessions held from April through August, typically on the last Saturday of each month. The program begins with a two-day opening session in April and concludes with a two-day coastal session in late August.
Registration is limited to 20 participants.
The schedule includes:
- Saturday–Sunday, April 25–26: Lower North Umpqua Watershed
- Saturday, May 30: Siskiyou Mountains ecology
- Saturday, June 27: South Umpqua Watershed
- Saturday, July 25: Upper North Umpqua Watershed and Crater Lake National Park
- Saturday, Aug. 29: Coast Range forests and dunes
- Sunday, Aug. 30: Oregon coastal ecology
The schedule is subject to change in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
The cost is $350. For those who can’t afford the cost, a scholarship option can be selected during the registration process.
Community partners supporting the program include Umpqua Watersheds, Partnership for the Umpqua Rivers, Umpqua Community College, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians, Douglas County Museum, the Umpqua Valley Chapter of the Oregon Native Plant Society, Yew Creek Land Alliance, the South Umpqua Rural Community Partnership, and the OSU Extension Forestry and Natural Resources Program.
Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made in advance by contacting Jason O’Brien at Jason.OBrien@oregonstate.edu.
About OSU Extension: The Oregon State University Extension Service shares research-based knowledge with people and communities in Oregon’s 36 counties. OSU Extension addresses issues that matter to urban and rural Oregonians. OSU Extension’s partnerships and programs contribute to a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future for Oregon.
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