ASTORIA, Ore. — Clatsop County sixth graders were treated to a different type of classroom on Sept. 25 and 26. The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) hosted the annual Forestry Days at the Bill Lecture Demonstration Forest in Astoria for almost 500 students.
“Every chance I have to work with kids, I love it because they're so curious, and they just love having fun out in the woods, just like I do,” said Oregon State University extension forester Dan Stark.
Stark studies how fire, insects and disease affect a forest. He also has a hard time hiding his love for the forest.
"I'm a forest health nerd, but you can call me a tree nerd, too,” Stark smiled.
Forestry Days originated in the 1960s to give students an up-close look at what the forest provides and its place in our ecosystem. Volunteers from partner organizations at nine different stations taught kids about things like wood products, fish and wildlife, and fire protection.
"They get to learn about mushrooms and fungi in the forest and how beneficial they are as recyclers. They get to taste some, especially ones that taste like pancakes because of a little maple syrup flavor. So, they love that, and they even get to eat a cookie with mushrooms in it, which is really weird,” Stark said.
Getting kids out of the classroom and into a new environment puts a big smile on O’Brien Starr-Hollow’s face, a teacher at Warrenton Middle School.
"These students are amazing,” he said. “They get so amped up and excited. They've been thrilled about this all week… All of a sudden, they're talking about fish and fire, and it's like, wow."
"I've never actually touched beaver fur or seen bones up close before,” said Warrenton Middle School sixth grader Liam Ambrose at the wildlife rescue station, which featured molds of animal footprints, bones and an osprey wing.
"We want to pique their curiosity, get them to understand, to see new things and to ask questions,” said Stark.
Forestry Days is meant to get kids thinking about a career in their forests and highlight the partnerships it takes to manage them.
"This is a place for everyone to enjoy. These are our forests. This is a state forest. The Oregon Department of Forestry manages our forests, right? This is for you," Stark said.
ODF partnered with Lewis and Clark National Nistoric Park, Oregon Women in Timber, Wildlife Center of the North Coast, Clatsop County Fisheries, Oregon Parks and Recreation, and Hampton and Nuveen.