Radiant and colorfulBroadly acclaimed for a variety of high-value wood products, alder also fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere and is an excellent recycler of nutrients. Native Americans used the bark to treat many problems from insect bites to lymphatic disorders. They also used the bark to dye fishing nets to make them less visible underwater.
A truly renaissance tree
Image Rehabilitation and conservation
Image Largest of all pines
Image Range
One of the world’s few deciduous conifers
Image Can't get enough sun and water
Image Strong and straight
Image Making homes beautiful for centuries
Image One tasty tree
Oregon forest landowners plant approximately 40 million trees every year, ensuring sustainable forests for future generations.
By planting trees today, we supply the products needed to build homes and community spaces for future generations.
Planting trees is key to sustainable forest management. In Oregon, forest landowners plant three trees for every one harvested. As those trees grow, they provide habitat for wildlife at every stage of the forest life cycle.
Planting trees is key to sustainable forest management. In Oregon, forest landowners plant three trees for every one harvested. As those trees grow, they pull atmospheric carbon out of the air and store it within the wood. Even when that wood is made into a home or other wood products, the carbon stays locked in the wood.
Joe Newton shows what it’s like to be a field forester. He spends most of his time outdoors, helping forest landowners grow trees that may someday be harvested for timber. It’s a field known as silviculture, and as Joe says, “It’s both an art and a science.”
A forest products mill runs on large machines and complicated electronics. A skilled electrician is always in high demand. Mike Murphy of the Hampton Lumber Mill in Tillamook, Ore., shows us around the mill, and explains what it takes to get a position like his. If you like using your hands as much as your mind on the job, becoming an electrician might be a perfect fit.
Elise Kelley shows us what it takes to be a fish biologist. It’s a highly competitive position that uses hands-on science to keep our fish populations healthy, while trying to keep recreational forest users happy.
Travel into the woods with Mary Castle of Molalla, Ore., as she shows what it’s like to be a forest engineer. She designs the roads and bridges necessary for timber harvest, and works with logging and road contractors to ensure the work is done properly.
