Story by: Peter Matzka, Forest Educator

The Hopkins Demonstration Forest has been an OSU Extension partner for over 30 years, with this partnership growing deeper over time. Coming in 2023, a new addition to the facilities will bring expanded opportunities for OSU Extension to conduct outdoor youth and adult workshops at the 140-acre forest. In the beginning of 2022, the current caretaker facility was removed and construction began on a 2,200 sq. ft. Outreach Center (ORC).

The ORC will be a dual-purpose building with a portion of its housing dedicated to a full-time caretaker and the other portion providing a meeting space as well as overnight accommodations for visiting faculty, interns, or graduate students wishing to work with Clackamas County’s youth or woodland owners. This addition will open the door for new opportunities for engaging woodland owners, youth, and the public in forestry and other Extension programs.