Jackson Meadow Restoration Volunteer Opportunity
Please join the Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE) and Oregon State University (OSU) for volunteer opportunities at Jackson Meadow in the McDonald-Dunn Research Forest. We will be hauling small logs, raking wood chips, and building slash piles to improve ground conditions for ongoing restoration activities.
Jackson Meadow is a 27-acre site with remnant oak and prairie habitat. Much of the site has suffered from woody encroachment and invasive species, with Oregon white oaks in the upper woodland being especially crowded out through competition from Douglas fir. In 2022, OSU’s College of Forestry completed a timber harvest throughout the site to release the oaks from conifer competition and start an oak-prairie restoration project. IAE and OSU are teaming up to complete this restoration over the next several years.
Following timber harvest, the site was littered with slash and woody debris, making typical prairie and savanna restoration activities challenging. Over the past year we have masticated a lot of this debris and burned slash piles, but there is still plenty of material. Our objective is to continue cleaning up woody material to facilitate activities such as mowing, seeding, and other treatments.
Event details:
When: Friday, January 12 and Wednesday, January 17, between 9 am – 2 pm. Potential for ongoing opportunities in the future.
Where: Jackson Meadow in the McDonald-Dunn Research Forest. Access through the gate at the end of NW Jackson Creek Dr. here (44.614024, -123.287344). You be directed where to park upon arrival. Please respect the neighbors by driving slowly along NW Jackson Creek Dr.
Bring: Water, lunch, waterproof rain gear. Please note that you are likely to get muddy. IAE will have work gloves, but some folks like to bring their own. We will have rakes, shovels, and bins for gathering wood chips.
Accessibility notes: We will be carrying small logs and raking/scooping wood chips for an extended period. This will require bending, crouching, and lifting potentially up to 40 lbs. We will also be walking over uneven, muddy terrain with tripping hazards. Please note there are no formal restroom facilities on site.
Registration: Please RSVP to the event by emailing Evan Lasley ([email protected]). All volunteers (or parent/guardian if the volunteer is a youth) must fill out IAE’s volunteer release form. Questions regarding site details can be directed to Paul Reed ([email protected]).
