Igniting a Legacy of Community-Based Watershed Stewardship and Restoration on the McKenzie River, Oregon: The Initial Development of a Long-Term Experiential Learning Program

Several small communities and two major cities are situated along the McKenzie River corridor and are intimately linked to the natural resources and ecosystem services that the McKenzie River subbasin provides.  A history of resource extraction and land alteration has led to the decline of watershed condition and two federally listed fish, bull trout and spring Chinook salmon.  Watershed restoration has been taking place for many years by federal, state, local and private entities, but there has generally been a disconnect with local communities.  In an effort to bridge that gap and begin a new legacy of community-based watershed stewardship and restoration, the Willamette National Forest and McKenzie Watershed Council have developed a long-term experiential learning program for local high school students.  The Stewardship Program in Aquatic Restoration and Conservation (SPARC) is designed to ignite lasting stewardship values in students by (1) teaching ecological concepts, issues, and effective action strategies, (2) cultivating belief in their ability to make a difference, (3) inspiring their commitment to act, and (4) providing experience in action-oriented activities.  Each school year, up to 14 students meet one day per month to design, implement and monitor aquatic restoration projects.  In the initial two years of the program, students have conducted pre-project habitat inventories, redd surveys, and snorkel surveys.  They helped design a large wood placement project and were on-site when large trees were pulled into the stream channel.  They have also conducted riparian planting in project areas and for local land owners.  The program culminates each year in students sharing what they have learned with the greater community through the development of interpretive materials and presentations.  Some students conduct independent research as an offshoot of the SPARC program for their senior projects, and some continue to study natural resource related disciplines in college.  Our hope is that the SPARC program lights the stewardship fire that spreads throughout communities of the McKenzie River corridor.