Mt. Hood National Forest

Watershed Education Program

“Conservation is the wise use and management of all our natural resources. It has been described as the state of harmony between people and land.”

The goal of the Mt. Hood National Forest Watershed Education Program is to provide rural schools with a unique resource that brings a locally significant view of watersheds and gives students a view of aquatics based science in the areas of fisheries, hydrology and soils. Our hope is to give students an understanding of the importance of their own local watershed.

We currently offer three lessons to schools at no cost. The subjects taught are described below.  If you would like to have Mt. Hood National Forest educators visit your students, please fill out a registration form and send it back to us. We will be in touch with you to confirm our visit to your classroom.

The Salmon’s Amazing Journey

They hatch in freshwater and swim to the sea to grow to maturity. They then return to freshwater to reproduce. The ability of the anadromous salmon to find its way home when it is time to spawn is one of the most remarkable processes in nature.Find out just what it means to be anadromous and learn the different kinds of anadromous salmon we have in the Pacific Northwest. See their various life stages as they hatch and grow into adults. Role-play as a salmon and see for yourself just how difficult it is to swim home. Follow the journey up waterfalls, against strong currents, around dams, through pollution and other barriers to return to the waters where they were hatched. Learn how salmon provide rich nutrients to streams after they spawn and die, thereby continuing the cycle.

Watershed Wonders

It comes out of the sky and fills our oceans, rivers and lakes, but did you know that rain is only one step in Earth’s naturally engineered water delivery system? Fueling life on our planet, learn about the water cycle and the incredible journey each drop makes as it travels throughout the world. Find out what a watershed is, how it functions and why it is important in your life. Using maps, see where you are in your OWN watershed and learn how you can help care for it. 

The Story That Soil Tells

Ever looked at soil before? What do you think it’s made of? Do you think there is a story it can tell? The information is there. Sometimes you just have to dig to find it.Learn about what makes up soil and where it comes from, discover its function and its relationship to the environment at large. Using a basic key of events, learn how to read the story the soil has to tell, then create your own soil story and share it with the class.