Science and Monitoring

Community science brings the expertise of the public and scientists together in a reciprocal relationship for more widespread understanding of the natural world. These community-driven investigations engage the public in hands-on educational experiences and contribute large bodies of information to the benefit of conservation science.

We welcome experienced biologists, students, and all those interested to observe nature up-close. Join us for a survey: bird, butterfly, and plant phenology walks, water health, photo point monitoring, soil sampling and more. Stay engaged and see the latest species observation on the free community-science platforms:

• Record bird sightings: Vesper Meadow hotspot on eBird.org

• Record any species: Vesper Meadow Project in iNaturalist

• See Vesper Meadow butterfly diversity over time through our collaboration with the Xerces Society and Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument: Cascade-Siskiyou Butterfly Monitoring Network

Water Quality

We are documenting water health by assessing the macroinvertebrates that live in the creek. Creek and wetland health are monitored for flow, temperature, and stream bank structure. We invite you to participate in seasonal events such as riparian photo-monitoring.

Rare and Imperiled Species

To ultimately protect the most threatened creatures that live here, we are monitoring the populations and behavior of species like the Mardon Skipper and Oregon Vesper Sparrow.

Stewardship and Restoration

Whether you have life-long career in land management, or a new-found curiosity for nature, Vesper Meadow has a place for you. Our projects are diverse in scope, and often accomplished in team work parties.

There is no better time than now for humans to give back to the lands that we live on, that sustain our health and provide vital water resources. Get involved as a land steward and create positive change for the benefit of all.

Get outside and Volunteer

A great way to network with comrades and engage in civic betterment. Enjoy the open skies, get a little muddy, and support the development of this community resource.

Seasonal Stewardship events and workshops

Hands-on learning opportunities with practical applications and skill development. From land managers to students to those wanting to bring back green-living ideas for their own home, we have a wide array of opportunities.

Restoration Efforts at Vesper Meadow

We’re connecting the public with a broad network of engineers, restoration ecologists, land managers, conservation biologists, and other experts for planning and implementing efforts to support a resilient habitat for wildlife.

Inspired Art

When nature becomes our muse, we exercise humanity with care and creativity. Both the study of nature, and the artistic process provide therapy to the individual and together can spur great social change.

Infused with innovation and mentorship, our programs build deep connection with nature and each other. We invite artists to partner with us in varying capacities, and offer creative learning experiences for diverse audiences.

Nature Study through Art

Whether studying the form of a found object, or the changing colors of the landscape, nature study with art fully engages the mind and body. Our classes and workshops train students for keen observation and encourage cultivation of personal creativity and training.

Original Crafts

Using natural materials engages the whole-self for elegant creativity and deep cultural connections. Through educational programming we offer “hand to hand” instruction that follows the seasons with traditional skills of rural living.

Artists-in-Partnership

We value artists as agents of social change, leaders in creativity, and enhancers of our aesthetic experience. Diverse art disciplines are welcome to join in partnership for mutual inspiration, ideas, and promotion.

Vesper Meadow art gallery

Tribal Partnership and Native Plant Stewardship

Education and Mentorship Programs

College Student and Career Development Opportunities

We provide opportunities for mentorship and working internships in biology, conservation science, restoration, education, and program management. Interested to learn more? Send us a letter of interest:

Classroom Visits and Field Trips

We cultivate students’ enthusiasm for the natural world while expanding their knowledge and skills in the areas of science and literacy. All programs weave interactive explorations, inquiry-based experiments, scientific instruments and specimens, and artistic elements into the learning process.

Education Materials

Check out our educational videos, lesson plans, and other curriculum materials. We strive to make creative content that teaches about the latest developments in restoration science, and provides useful skills-based learning to address the most pressing current issues.

Fire Ecology and Human Relationship Curriculum for 4th - 10th grade

Published together with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians we are providing teachers with tools to address some of the most critical and misunderstood issues facing Oregon today. These science-based lessons are infused with art, historical references, creative writing, geography, and even social media.

Interested in partnership with Vesper Meadow programs?

Tell us what you are interested in, and we’ll start a conversation:

Healing Landscapes

The Healing Landscapes Program reconnects Indigenous communities and other under-resourced groups to the land through culturally specific, land-based education and restoration work. This program integrates healing practices, ecological restoration, and Indigenous worldviews, offering participants transformative experiences in mindfulness, art, and stewardship. Participants engage with nature not only as a physical environment but as a relative, fostering reciprocal relationships and biocultural restoration that address ecological and human well-being.

Program Goals

1. Transformative Engagement: Provide culturally rooted healing practices and hands-on land stewardship activities that deepen connections to place, promote mental well-being, and foster ecological awareness.

2. Program Development Tools: Create facilitation frameworks and best practices to guide future programming, ensuring sustainable and replicable models that align with Indigenous knowledge systems.

3. Strengthen Partnerships: Collaborate with Native-led organizations, local conservation partners, and educational institutions to address shared conservation challenges, such as water security and biodiversity, while supporting cultural revitalization efforts.

Recent Program Highlights

• Indigenous-Led Restoration: Indigenous volunteers advancing ecological restoration by constructing Low-Tech Process Based Restoration structures along Spencer Creek, improving riparian habitats and supporting creek health.

• Youth Education and Hands-On Stewardship: Providing experiential learning through classroom-based fire ecology lessons and field trips to the Vesper Meadow Restoration Preserve, where high school students participated in native plant garden maintenance, riparian restoration, and streambank stabilization.

• Community Outreach and Cultural Sharing: Engaging with local communities using Fire Ecology and Human Relationship curriculum at cultural events and workshops, fostering greater awareness of Indigenous ecological knowledge.

• BIPOC and Indigenous Programming: holding a BIPOC group cohort workshop centered on Indigenous worldviews, co-hosting an Indigenous women and Two-Spirit gathering, providing spaces for connection, healing, and cultural expression.

These efforts highlight the program’s holistic approach—connecting community members with land stewardship through cultural education, environmental restoration, and inclusive partnerships.

Target Community and Focus Areas

Local Native, low-income, BIPOC, and other under-resourced communities have expressed a need for safe, land-based spaces to reconnect with their cultural roots. Healing Landscapes addresses both historical and contemporary harms resulting from settler-colonial with activities that restore both the land and the people connected to it.

Program efforts include:

• Addressing Ecological Challenges: Engaging participants in land restoration focused on water security, wildfire prevention, and species conservation.

• Revitalizing Indigenous Practices: Offering mindful movement activities and guided meditations that frame land and nature as living relatives.

• Supporting Community Needs: Collaborating with Native community leaders and conservationists to provide meaningful, trauma-informed programming, incorporating traditional ecological knowledge into Western restoration frameworks.

By collaborating for program design and strengthening partnerships with local organizations, the Healing Landscapes Program aims to create lasting, reciprocal relationships between people and the environment.