- The Tillamook Forest Center’s annual Rain Festival focuses on rivers, spawning salmon, and the inner workings of watersheds to celebrate the ways in which rain transforms our forests.
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Environmental Engagement students attended this event as part of a collaborative research project developed by Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Alana Rader in partnership with Denise Berkshire, acting director of the Tillamook Forest Center.
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Students hone their communication skills and learn cultural competency, as well as author and share the outcomes of their research.
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Professor Rader’s class is focused on connecting environmental scholarship to the people and communities that are most impacted.
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The next step will be to analyze the input to identify common ground across the values, interests, and perspectives expressed by rural Oregonians.
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The students are currently training with Lewis & Clark’s Community Dialogues initiative, which promotes civil discourse and civic engagement. Those skills and approaches were on full display at the Rain Festival as students engaged with attendees.
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The course culminates in a presentation to the state Board of Forestry, with the students sharing the collaborative research to help shape future programs and exhibits at the Tillamook Forest Center. This is an especially timely effort because of the state’s efforts to update the Oregon Forest Management plan. Tillamook County will be impacted by the new plan.
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This experiential learning opportunity is just one way that Lewis & Clark College is developing the next generation of environmental researchers and leaders.
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The Rain Festival is a free event providing the public with activities including a salmon release, guided walks, crafts, and displays that celebrate the Tillamook State Forest and its watersheds.
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Students literally get hands-on experience at Lewis & Clark.
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The students’ work on the project will help them develop open-minded curiosity and sharpen their listening and engagement skills―skills that will serve them throughout their lives and careers.
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Connecting with nature and communities across boundaries is a cornerstone of Lewis & Clark’s environmental studies program.
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Students were able to release salmon fry that were raised in the visitor center fish tank as part of the event’s programming.
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It wouldn’t be a Rain Festival without a little rain!
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The opportunity to learn off campus is what makes a Lewis & Clark education especially valuable.
- The beauty of the Pacific Northwest knows no bounds.
