Oregonians sure love their wilderness. We have strict urban growth boundaries, spend every second we can soaking up rain, sun and snow outdoors and volunteer like it is going out of style (more nonprofits per capita than any other state in the nation).

Nonprofits face specific challenges in economies such as this – and Job Corps is an essential piece in helping those nonprofits solve (no pun intended) unique issues that they face.

Stop Oregon Litter and Vandalism, SOLV, annually provides resources to more than 250 Oregon communities, focusing on cleanup, native planting, invasive plant removal and environmental maintenance projects. SOLV creates an average of 50,000 volunteer opportunities across the state. Since 1997, SOLV has provided an estimated $60,000,000 in service to Oregon. (www.solv.org)

Due to the struggles of funding and the need of watershed restoration along Oregon’s rivers and lakes, Job Corps and SOLV have formed a mutually beneficial and exciting partnership that provides support to SOLV, the watersheds and restoration areas identified as priority and serves the students and staff of Job Corps by giving them a chance to learn about their environment while fulfulling science requirements and giving the students out of classroom experience.

Starting with Timberlake Job Corps and their forestry program, students adopted a site at Goat Island and provide restoration support, macroinvertebrate survey support and invasive species removal to SOLV. In return, the amazing team at SOLV provides watershed and invasive species education as well as a myriad of other educational opportunities.

Springdale Job Corps and SOLV partnered in April to adopt a site at Beaver Creek on the Sandy River. So far, students have participated in a Watersheds 101 presentation, pulling garlic mustard, laying coffee bags, mulching, and participated in education about native vs. invasive species. The culinary students were so excited about the aggressive natives and the culinary prospects that they took Stinging Nettles back to culinary and cooked with it the following day!

The students and staff of Springdale Job Corps and the green team look forward to a broad, successful and exciting relationship with SOLV over the next few years!