Ruch Outdoor Community School has long embraced the outdoors as a key classroom. Thanks to a partnership with the City of Ashland, this commitment is expanding with a meaningful project based in the school’s adjacent nature park. The goal? To deepen environmental learning, empower students, and support the health of our local ecosystem—all while preparing for the challenges of wildfire smoke.
Awarded in partnership with Oregon State University’s ASPIRE Children’s Environmental Health Center, this grant supports hands-on science education and restoration work on the school grounds. Over the next year and a half, Ruch students will install air quality monitors, conduct forest restoration activities, and work with local partners to better understand the links between air quality, climate, and ecological health.
Our guiding vision is to give students the tools and experiences they need to become environmental stewards—starting right here at home.
While this grant funds supplies like native plants, forestry kits, and educational materials, the true investment is in student leadership and environmental literacy. As students map photopoints, analyze seasonal data, and present to their families and neighbors, they become active participants in shaping a more resilient community.
With guidance from science teacher Steve Forrest and support from the Applegate Partnership & Watershed Council, students will engage in restoration efforts that include planting native species, managing understory vegetation, and installing erosion control measures. These efforts not only improve watershed and forest health but also offer students a deeper understanding of fire ecology and resilience.
This initiative is truly a community collaboration. Local experts will host teacher workshops in the school’s nature park, bringing regional knowledge directly into the classroom. Educational signage will be installed to inform visitors and neighbors about the work underway and the student science behind it. A community showcase is planned for spring 2026, when students will present their findings and restoration progress.
Awarded in partnership with Oregon State University’s ASPIRE Children’s Environmental Health Center, this grant supports hands-on science education and restoration work on the school grounds. Over the next year and a half, Ruch students will install air quality monitors, conduct forest restoration activities, and work with local partners to better understand the links between air quality, climate, and ecological health.
Our guiding vision is to give students the tools and experiences they need to become environmental stewards—starting right here at home.
While this grant funds supplies like native plants, forestry kits, and educational materials, the true investment is in student leadership and environmental literacy. As students map photopoints, analyze seasonal data, and present to their families and neighbors, they become active participants in shaping a more resilient community.
With guidance from science teacher Steve Forrest and support from the Applegate Partnership & Watershed Council, students will engage in restoration efforts that include planting native species, managing understory vegetation, and installing erosion control measures. These efforts not only improve watershed and forest health but also offer students a deeper understanding of fire ecology and resilience.
This initiative is truly a community collaboration. Local experts will host teacher workshops in the school’s nature park, bringing regional knowledge directly into the classroom. Educational signage will be installed to inform visitors and neighbors about the work underway and the student science behind it. A community showcase is planned for spring 2026, when students will present their findings and restoration progress.
