Digital Video in the Classroom: Communication Skills for Future Natural Resource Professionals

The Natural Resource Communications course in Oregon State University’s College of Forestry is designed to provide students with the skills to be effective members of a resource organization and techniques for working in the public arena. The course focuses on teamwork and group dynamics, meeting management skills, public relations, interpretation, and public education and outreach. The course has been incorporating student digital video production as a capstone experience synthesizing these skills into a tangible product

Using one-minute television spots to educate the public about forestry

In the Pacific Northwest, as in much of the United States, conflicting views among environmentalists, forest industries, government agencies, and policy makers have left the public with a confused picture of forestry issues and practices. So, it should come as no surprise when citizens base their opinions of natural resource issues on incomplete or inaccurate information. To help combat this problem, the College of Forestry at Oregon State University and the Oregon Forest Resources Institute (OFRI) recently combined forces to create and broadcast seven one-minute television spots based on the latest scientific information about managing Oregon’s forests. These spots were educational in nature, not promotional. They were designed to meet the public’s desire for science-based information about how their forests are managed. It was hoped that seeing these messages would help viewers make better decisions about their use of natural resources, become more informed and effective participants in policy decisions regarding forests and forest products, and better understand how forests and forestry affect their lives. Their purpose was not to convince viewers that forest practices of the past (or present) are inherently good or bad. Unlike public service announcements, these spots were broadcast frequently and at prime time to reach the target audiences most effectively

Natural resource education: Getting forest products workers into the flow

The forest products industry employs over 1.4 million people in the U.S.; it ranks among the top ten manufacturing employers in 46 states. Surprisingly, a recent survey of U.S. forest products workers revealed substantial ignorance and misperceptions about forests and forestry issues. Despite this, few educational programs are targeted at this audience. The Oregon Forest Resources Institute has teamed up with Oregon State University\u27s Forestry Media Center to fill this gap with Project FLOW (Forestry Learning Opportunities for Workers). Phase one of this project, completed in summer 1997, analyzed current status of forestry educational opportunities for forest workers in Oregon: existing educational activities, opportunities for new programs, and obstacles to implementing new programs. A mail-in survey, sent to human resource officers or chief executives of 590 forest products businesses in Oregon, indicated that it was important for forest workers to have reliable information about forestry topics. However, fewer than half those responding said that their company currently distributes educational materials or provides on-the-job learning opportunities. Principal obstacles cited were lack of time during the workday, lack of staff, and lack of relevant and effective educational materials. Phase two of this project will use the survey data, as well as information collected from focus groups, site visits, and telephone conversations with key stakeholders, to develop and pilot-test learning materials in various formats. We anticipate that materials developed through this project will have wide application throughout the United States-and that better-informed workers are likely to become better individual decision makers and more effective ambassadors for sound forest management