Understanding Visitor Use in the Wilson River Corridor of the Tillamook State Forest
Faculty mentor/Supervisor:
Ashley D'Antonio
Email Address:
Department Affiliation:
Forest Ecosystems & Society
Project Location:
Corvallis, Oregon and Tillamook State Forest, Oregon
Project Description:
State parks and forests provide some of the most popular recreation sites for Oregonians to participate in various activities including biking, hiking, and OHV. To effectively manage these sites, information on the amount and character of visitor use is essential. The Wilson River Corridor (WRC) in the Tillamook State Forest provides a diversity of outdoor recreation opportunities including motorized and non-motorized recreation, dispersed and designated camping, and water-based recreation. Anecdotal reports suggest that a wide variety of Oregonians are taking advantage of these opportunities, but to date, there is a lack of quantitative information on who these visitors are, what they are doing, and where they are recreating. This project, in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Forestry and the University of Washington, uses a combination of on-site surveys, ChatBot surveys, and automatic counters to understand visitor use in the WRC of the Tillamook State Forest.
Describe the type of work and tasks you anticipate the student will perform:
The student will assist, then available, with field work at the Tillamook State Forest. Field work occurs only 3 to 4 days per month. Students will work with a team of graduate students and other undergraduates to collect on-sites surveys of visitors in the WRC. The student will also assist with the calibration, maintenance and download of automatic trail and vehicle counters in the WRC trail/road system. When not in the field, the student will assist with data entry as well as data quality assurance/quality control. Depending on the student's interest and skills, there are also opportunities to assist with basic data analysis and reporting.
Hourly rate of pay:
$15/hr
What is the expected timeline of this project?:
This project is on-going, the student would jump into the project at data collection stage. Data collection on the project continues through June of 2025. Students will be expected to help with field work (as their class schedule allows) 3 to 4 days a month. Ability to work one to two weekend days a month is required. The weekly schedule for work conducted in the lab (data entry and analysis) is flexible.
Are special skills or knowledge required to work on this project?:
No
Will training be provided?:
Yes
How many hours per week do you anticipate a student to work?:
8 hours during weeks with no field work, 10 hours during weeks with field work scheduled.
How many hours per week do you anticipate engaging in direct mentorship?:
One to two hours per week
Detail your mentorship plan:
I will meet with the student every other week for 30 minutes to 1 hour to discuss the project and other mentoring/professional development topics. These topics will depend on the student's interests and needs. For example, if a student is interested in federal jobs - we can discuss the federal hiring process and federal resumes.
On alternating weeks, the student will be invited to attend my lab meetings which includes graduate students, FRAs, and other undergraduate students working on research in our lab group. Lab meetings are used to share research goals, discuss professional development topics, and/or discuss current topics in visitor use and recreation management.