Where will training take place?

Oregon has eight ecoregions based upon their common ecological characteristics. Local partnerships within each region will be established and regional trainings will be conducted by the regional partners at such places as nature centers and Extension field stations. There may be more than one center within a region and multiple ways to partner within and across regions. For example, in the Coast Range Ecoregion, there are several major partners already working with us supported by the Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence - Pacific Partnerships. There are several locations on the coast that are likely to provide trainings including the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon Coast Aquarium, South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Oregon Institute of Marine Biology. Within the Klamath Mountains Ecoregion, the Siskiyou Field Institute at Deer Creek Center conducts on-site and field-based natural resource education programs. Their center would serve as an indoor and outdoor classroom, providing the Master Naturalist program with classes participants could take that concentrate on the regional ecology.

More regional partnerships such as these are expected as we further develop the program.