Deschutes Children's Forest: Collaboration in Action

The Deschutes Children's Forest is a national concept that has come to fruition thanks to the collaboration of many local partners. By working together and leveraging the strength of local conservation education providers, school districts, the Deschutes National Forest, and other organizations, the Deschutes Children's Forest seeks to ensure that every student in Central Oregon gets a chance to learn outside of the classroom walls. Through a collaborative partnership between Discover Your Northwest, Bend-LaPine Schools, the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council, and the Deschutes National Forest, the Ryan Ranch Conservation Education Project has been the pilot project for the Deschutes Children's Forest. A unique combination of hands-on science, field art projects, interviews with experts, and time dedicated to river watching has gifted participating students with the interdisciplinary opportunity to truly experience and begin to care for Ryan Ranch and the Deschutes River.  

The partners that are crafting the experiential education opportunities within the Deschutes Children's Forest represent a diverse interdisciplinary melting pot themselves. Scientists, educators, writers, and artists have come together to create place-based education opportunities. Representatives from the Deschutes National Forest, Discover Your Northwest, and the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council will present the partnership strategies that have made the Ryan Ranch Conservation Education Project the first success story for the Deschutes Children's Forest. The Children's Forest provides a model of conservation education coordination, implementation, and delivery that other organizations and agencies may learn from.  A variety of teaching tools and curricular materials will be on hand for conference attendees to review.