What is the Fall Retreat and Why is it Happening?
In 2021, given the restrictions of Covid-19 and social interaction still present in Oregon, we have elected to hold a Fall Retreat as an alternative to some of the social networking opportunities typically enjoyed at our annual meeting. We are excited to be able to have this event entirely outdoors and in the forest during the warm summer months of 2021. This type of event is new to us, but we hope it will be a huge success! See more for what to expect below.
Covid-19 Precautions
We are so thrilled to be able to interact and socialize with all of you outdoors this summer! Although all the activities at this event will take place outdoors, we feel the current state of COVID in Oregon, specifically related to the increase in cases in the unvaccinated driven by the Delta variant, warrants extra precaution. We absolutely do not want an ORTWS networking event to contribute to the spread of COVID, and we recognize that the Delta variant may cause infections even within the vaccinated. For these reasons and because the overall vaccination rate in Oregon is below 60% we have decided to require all attendees at the Fall Retreat to be vaccinated. Alternatively, you may provide proof a negative COVID test within the 72 hours preceding the event. We sincerely hope that this requirement will not only reduce the likelihood that our event contributes to the spread of COVID, but that it will also provide us with a modest sense of security when interacting with one another at Camp Colton.
- Provide proof of vaccination (by uploading a photo of your vaccine card), or;
- Provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken within 3 days of the event (this includes children under 12, for whom no vaccine is yet available)
In addition, we plan to take the following precautions at this event:
- Hand sanitation stations will be available throughout the event
- Masks and social distancing will be required indoors, and optional outdoors (pending any changes in state guidelines). All events are currently planned to take place outside.
- We may adjust the maximum capacity of this event, pending state and county Covid-19 risk levels as the event approaches
- We ask everyone to respect the comfort level of their peers, and give others the space they need. Please don’t be offended if someone declines to shake your hand!
Location
The 2021 ORTWS Fall Retreat will take place at Camp Colton, which is located in Colton, OR (about 40 min south of Portland)
Registration
ORTWS Adult - $50* | Student - $25
*if the registration cost would pose a hardship for you, please contact us to discuss the possibility of sliding scale fees
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we are limiting this event to 150 people. This is the maximum number of people allowed to gather in Clackamas county when the Covid-19 risk level is Moderate. If Clackamas county increases to a High risk level, we will need to limit the number of attendees to 75. For this reason, the first 75 people who register for this event will be ensured of their ability to attend. Above 75 registrants, we will still have registration open, but you registration status will be ‘pending risk level for the Clackamas county’. We will send emails updating everyone as to our expected event capacity in the weeks leading up to the retreat.
Spouses/partners/friends and children are welcome!
- All adults and children 13-18 will be charged at the normal adult rate. They can be registered as guests, or register separately. If they would like to attend the Friday workshops, we request they register separately for the event.
- Children 2-12 will be charged at the student rate – please indicate any children in this age range you plan to bring during your registration. We will contact you later to collect meal choices.
- Children 2 and under are free and do not need to be registered. They will not receive a meal ticket for Friday.
Please note: no dogs are allowed at Camp Colton, so please leave your furry friends at home!
Schedule
- BioBlitz (a group race to count all the plants, animals, and fungi living at Camp Colton)
- Networking Mixer (5-10pm) - A chance to mingle and network with colleagues from across the state
- Evening will include food trucks, poster session, speakers, jam session, and more!
- Continental Breakfast (another chance to see your colleagues and network)
- Workshops around Camp Colton (see details below)
- Off-site group hike
Poster Session
Interested in bringing a poster to the Fall Retreat? Abstracts are due by July 30, 2021
Feeling like it has been way too long since you’ve had the chance to share your research with colleagues from across the state? We’ll have a casual poster session happening simultaneously with our Networking Mixer. Bring a poster detailing what you’ve been working on to the Fall Retreat, for the chance to discuss your research with other attendees. Posters will be set up in the same area as the mixer (pending weather), and poster authors will not be required to stand next to their poster for the entire event. There will also be no judging, unlike at our typical annual meetings.
Lodging
Camping: On-site tent camping at Camp Colton is provided for free with your registration, subject to availability. Camping is available at a very large group site at Camp Colton, so all tent spots will be first-come-first-serve. Tents with smaller footprints are encouraged to make sure there is enough room for everyone at the group camping sites. Port-a-potties will be provided, but there are no showers available. Please indicate your interest during registration so we know how many people to expect.
Indoor Accommodations at Camp Colton: If you would prefer to sleep in a comfortable bed, Camp Colton has a wide variety of accommodation options available. These include: private cabins, yurts, tiny house, RV sites and bunk-style cabins. If you prefer one of these options, you will be responsible for contacting Camp Colton to reserve the accommodations and for covering the costs (Camp Colton will invoice you directly, ORTWS will not be involved in these transactions).
Find out more about the indoor accommodations options available at Camp Colton here.
To make reservations for these accommodations at Camp Colton please contact Nicole Ehrbar (nicole@campcolton.com) and indicate that you would like to book accommodations for the ORTWS event on Aug 26.
Please note: no dogs are allowed at Camp Colton, so please leave your furry friends at home!
Bio Blitz
Thursday, August 26 12pm – Friday, August 27 7:00 am
Looking for something to do when you arrive at camp? Want to help document the wildlife and flora in a citizen science database? Want to win bragging rights and maybe even some ORTWS swag? Whether you have never heard the term ‘Bio Blitz’ before, or are an old hat at the events, you’ll get the chance to participate in our Bio Blitz at Camp Colton during the Retreat! The most observations, most species, and the best photos posted will be reviewed and winners announced after breakfast on Friday morning!
A BioBlitz is an event that focuses on finding and identifying as many species as possible in a specific area over a short period of time. At our BioBlitz, everyone will work together to get a snapshot of Camp Colton’s biodiversity. Smartphone technologies (like iNaturalist) make collecting photographs and biological information about living things easy, and high quality data uploaded to iNaturalist become part of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, an open source database used by scientists and policy makers around the world.
Considerations:
- You will need to download iNaturalist ahead of time to participate
- Everyone is welcome to participate once you arrive, but if you know you’re interested ahead of time please let us know (during your event registration) so we can send you some info to prepare!
Friday Morning Bird Walk
Friday, August 27 6:00 – 8:00 am
Join some of your fellow wildlifers and bird enthusiasts for a morning bird walk around Camp Colton! See what bird life occupies the forest in this part of Oregon, and get to know some other ORTWS birders. This is a great opportunity to add some final species to your BioBlitz list, before the event closes Friday morning! All levels of birder are welcome — we hope everyone can learn from each other on this casual morning bird walk. If we have a large number of people show up, we may split into multiple groups.
Considerations:
- Bring your own binoculars and bird guide
- Bring water and snacks as needed — coffee and continental breakfast will be available once the bird walk is over
On-Site Workshops – Friday
Workshop 1 – Wild Foraging for Edible Plants
Led by: Lorelle Sherman (Forest Ecologist/Data Manager, USDA Forest Service; ORISE Fellow)
Join Lorelle for a morning of guided foraging for wild summer edibles in the Willamette Valley. Plant ID and ethical harvest are essential skills for any forager. Lorelle will guide the group through the process of correctly identifying, harvesting, and processing a range of wild edibles depending on what’s available at the time. Wild foods may include berries, edible blossoms, salad greens, wild herbs, conifer needles, and maybe even a few mushrooms! The group will get a chance to taste test some of these new flavors and ingredients, as well as try wild teas you can make at home.
Considerations:
- Limited to 12 participants
- Bring snacks and water as needed
- Bring a notebook for taking notes, and possibly a basket (or mesh / paper bags) for collecting foraged foods
- We recommend wearing long pants, layers, and sturdy shoes
Workshop 2 – Pacific Northwest Plant ID
Led by: Joe Bettis (Botanist and Wetland Consultant, Turnstone Environmental)
Join botanist Joe Bettis for a couple hours walking the trails around Camp Colton, learning some plant identification skills and familiarizing yourself with some of the more common plants of the Pacific Northwest. This workshop will be tailored to the interests of the group, so come with your more pressing plant ID questions for Joe to answer!
Considerations:
- Limited to 15 participants
- Bring snacks and water as needed
- Bring a local plant field guide if you have one (we recommend Pojar and Mackinnon’s Plants of the Pacific Northwest)
Workshop 3 – Intro to Wildlife Trapping Techniques
Led by: David Keiter (Research Biologist, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), Jade Keehn (Regional Wildlife Conservation Biologist, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife) and Terrah Owens (PhD Student, Oregon State University)
Interested in learning about live-trapping wildlife for research or management purposes? We will be holding a trapping techniques workshop focused on general trapping practices, trapping ethics, and specific capture methods for mammals, herpetofauna, and birds. This workshop will include explanations and demonstrations of best practices for use of various traps used to live-capture wildlife and a question and answer session. Students and early career professionals interested in the subject are particularly encouraged to sign up, although wildlife professionals at all career stages are welcome!
Considerations:
- Limited to 20 participants
- Bring snacks and water as needed
Workshop 4 – Fishing Basics
Led by: Micheal O’Casey (Oregon Field Representative, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership)
Ever wanted to learn how to cast a fly into a cool mountain stream? Take advantage of the stocked pond that’s here at the retreat and learn from a few experienced fly anglers on the basics of fly fishing. Learn the key gear to have, how to cast a fly, when to use a dry fly vs. a nymph, and maybe even how to reel in and handle a fish once it’s in the net.
Considerations:
- Limited to 10 participants
- Bring snacks and water as needed
- Bring a casting rod if you have one (some will be provided)
Food & Drink
We will have 2 food carts on-site for Thursday dinner: Aybla Grill and Local Grind. Vegan and gluten-free options will be available.
Also, we’d like to send a big thank you to our beverage sponsors for this event: Breakside Brewery, Two Towns Ciderhouse, and Legend NW Cider Company!
Sponsorship
Is your organization interested in sponsoring our 2021 Fall Retreat? We know many people in our community have had a rough year in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. For that reason, we have tried to make registration for the Fall Retreat as affordable as possible. This is only possible due to the generous support of our sponsors. Fall Retreat sponsors receive many varied benefits depending on the level of sponsorship, including: registration waivers, recognition in promotional materials, and more.
Please contact Lindsey Sanders with interest or questions at lindseysanders@ortws.org.
