Published April 1, 2026
Last week Lomakatsi hosted our 6th annual Natural Resources On-Ramp Camp in collaboration with Southern Oregon Forest Restoration Collaborative, Rogue Workforce Partnership, Table Rock Foundation, Grayback Forestry, Inc., and Rogue River Watershed Council. Thank you to each organization for helping shape a stellar experience for this 14-participant crew of 16- to 18-year-olds over spring break!
Over the week-long camp, the youth were outfitted for field work, earned their CPR and First Aid certifications with Kiser CPR & First Aid, and explored different natural resource careers and topics led by Lomakatsi staff and partners as they took part in hands-on forest and watershed restoration in Jackson and Josephine counties alongside Lomakatsi’s 12-member Inter-Tribal Oregon Conservation Corps (Oregon Youth Works) crew.
Participants practiced using essential forestry tools such as clinometers, relascopes, and marking tape during a Tech Day training led by Lomakatsi’s Restoration Forester Megan Abeyta.
SOFRC Education staff brought the Southern Oregon Forest Ecology Education live fire lab out to the Upper Rogue Oak Initiative—a rich landscape and dynamic outdoor classroom for exploring fire science.
The crew learned about wildland fire management and response, including through a fire demonstration by Grayback Forestry, Inc. showcasing drone technology used in fire surveillance and suppression.
The youth also identified native plant species through Lomakatsi’s scavenger hunt activity and were introduced to Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge by Tribal cultural resource specialists with ancestral ties to the region.
Thank you to all the instructors and partners who helped make this another memorable Camp experience. Shout out to Southern Oregon Education Service District – SOESD for sponsoring a delicious and nutritious lunch for the crew!
Lomakatsi crew leaders and Sofia Maciel from SOFRC
