William Ferrell Forest Discovery Trail
3rd Annual Winter Solstice Celebration!
Please mark your calendars for our Winter Solstice Celebration. Join us as we learn more about nature in winter, and celebrate the return of longer days!
• Saturday, December 14th
• 2-5pm
• Free family event!
• Guided walks, activities, and crafts
This is an open-house style event, drop in any time 2-5pm. To recieve event reminders, updates, and help us anticipate visitor needs, please sign up here.
Volunteers appreciated! Sign up here to help make a little ☆forest magic☆
For questions, please contact Jay at bruej@oregonstate.edu
What is the Forest Discovery Trail?
Are you ready to explore the Forest Discovery Trail? This program has been developed to honor Dr. William Ferrell, the first forest ecologist hired by the College of Forestry. Check out our list of online video resources.
Tour Materials
Follow the Forest Discovery Trail signs and stop at each designated area. The cards below (in pdf format) will guide you in activities for each of the stops. You may want to download all the cards as one file on your smartphone or device before going out to the forest!
Forest Discovery Backpacks
Forest Discovery Backpacks contain the materials teachers and group leaders need to lead a Forest Discovery Program outdoor field trip. The backpack contains Activity Cards, assorted art supplies, and more to guide your adventure! Teachers and parents can check-out a Forest Discovery Backpack from the Research Offices by contacting the OSU Research Forests or clicking the link below.
Teacher's Guide
NEW! Forest Explorers Journal
We are excited to announce the newest addition to our Forest Discovery Program, the Forest Explorers Journal. This interactive journal is designed for 4th - 8th graders and is filled with activities and materials to inspire curiosity and scientific exploration about the history and ecology of the OSU Research Forests.
Click the link below to receive a free journal and borrow a journal field kit to help aid you in your explorations.
Already tested the journal? We'd love to hear about it. Please fill out your feedback forms here!