Mission Statement:
The mission of this project is to assess forest health and vulnerability to future storm events in the face of climate change. This will be achieved by collecting data of trees 36 inches in diameter and assess the presence of fungus, pathogens, insects, ivy and analyze their health through canopy transparency, density and dieback to greater understand the trajectory of the Hendricks Park forest. The creation of photo points will help to track the trajectory over time.
Project Description
In January 2019, the Hendricks Park ELP team assessed the overall health of the forest in the park to assist the writing of a Forest Management Plan for the area by City of Eugene. The last Hendricks Park Forest Management Plan was created in 1999 after a major wind storm swept through the park, collapsed trees, and damaged nearby properties. By collecting data on various components of the forest and comparing it to the data collected in 1999, our team tracked disturbances and the effects of forest trajectory over the past 20 years. The data generated serves two functions: (1) the data acts as a monitoring study of the policies put in place by the City of Eugene in 1999 that will be used to update the Hendricks Park Forest Management Plan and (2) how forest health is affected by the presence of fungus, ivy, insects and other aspects of an urban park like canopy health and tree vigor.
The team spent ten weeks in the winter writing a research proposal, training to use specialized equipment, and developing analytical skills. During the spring, the team spent eight days collecting data in Hendricks Park. The research was generated into a report and presented at the UO Undergraduate Research Symposium.
The team spent ten weeks in the winter writing a research proposal, training to use specialized equipment, and developing analytical skills. During the spring, the team spent eight days collecting data in Hendricks Park. The research was generated into a report and presented at the UO Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Our Community Partners
Our team worked in partnership with the City of Eugene Parks and Open Spaces division and the Friends of Hendricks Park.
The City of Eugene is a governmental organization run by Mayor Lucy Vinis and eight city council members. The City of Eugene Parks and Open Spaces Division works to protect and enhance Eugene’s parks and natural areas. The Parks and Open Spaces division also provides diverse recreation opportunities.
Friends of Hendricks Park is a non-profit, membership-based organization that is partnered with the City of Eugene Parks and Open Spaces division. The Friends of Hendricks Park (FoHP) work to help protect and steward Hendricks Park, located in Eugene, Oregon. FoHp also supports volunteer-based restoration and educational tours.
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Environmental Leadership Program
The Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) is an interdisciplinary and collaborative service-learning program at the University of Oregon (UO). Every year, ELP matches UO students with non-profits, government agencies, and local businesses to address our communities environmental needs giving students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the environmental field whilst giving back to the community. ELP is co-directed by Kathryn Lynch and Peg Boulay. Our team worked directly with Peg Boulay, a wildlife ecologist with an extensive background in conservation and research issues. As a co-director of ELP, Peg creates service-learning projects surrounding conservation science and community engagement.
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