Providing the skills, confidence and inspiration to make a difference!
The Environmental Leadership Program is an interdisciplinary community-based learning program that matches student teams with non-profit organizations, government agencies and businesses to address community-defined environmental issues. With the overarching objective of developing reciprocal and mutually-beneficial partnerships between students and community organizations, our goals are to provide:
Our goals are to provide:
- Undergraduate students with unique and practical learning experiences that develop their professional, leadership, technical, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication experience and skills;
- Graduate students with project management, mentoring, and team-building experience and skills; and
- Organizations with high-quality services that further their missions.
Our projects take place primarily on the traditional homelands of the Kalapuya peoples. We recognize this land acknowledgement is just a starting place–an invitation for us to consider what our settler-colonial history means for our pedagogical practices and our community-based work, as well as inspiration to redouble our efforts to develop courses and community-based projects that promote environmental and social justice.
Projects
We develop our projects cooperatively with community partners. Depending on partners’ needs, projects can address environmental education and outreach, natural resource management, habitat restoration, species conservation, environmental monitoring, sustainable business practices, ecotourism, recreation management, environmental justice, and other topics.
Currently, we have four primary focal areas.
In our Conservation Science in Action projects, students assist community partners by completing hands-on restoration projects, creating assessments and management plans, or acquiring and analyzing needed environmental data.
In our Environmental Education projects, students develop, implement, and share transformative learning experiences for children in nature. Students create scientifically rigorous curricula, teach programs in classrooms and conduct field trip activities.
In our Community Engagement and Justice projects, students work directly with communities to address our pressing environmental and social justice issues. Through methods such as oral histories, science communication, creative works and direct action, these projects seek to center and amplify voices that have often gone unheard and generate new approaches that build inclusive and resilient communities.
In our Sustainable Practices projects, students implement solutions that address and integrate concerns regarding environmental health, social equity, and economic success. Example projects include renewable energy, waste prevention and recycling, alternative transportation, sustainable business, and organic agriculture.
How to Apply
Applications are open for the Fall 2025 ELP Riverfront Research project! The application deadline is 9:00 am, Monday May 5th.
The Environmental Leadership Program is open to undergraduates with at least junior standing, although priority consideration will be given to Environmental Studies and Environmental Science majors.
Please fill out the application below. Don’t forget to attach your resume. After receiving your application, Peg will email you to schedule an interview. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the project is full or 5/19 (whichever comes first).
Information on the 2026 ELP projects will be available in late September.
Fall 2025 Project
CONSERVATION SCIENCE/COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROJECT
Riverfront Restoration 2025
Restoring degraded riparian vegetation has many important benefits including filtering pollutions, providing shade for cooler water temperatures, reducing erosion, slowing flood waters, and providing important wildlife habitat. In collaboration with the UO Office of Sustainability and Whitewater Ranch, this team will contribute to the health of the Willamette and McKenzie Rivers by getting involved in all stages of the adaptive restoration process: planning, site preparation, planting, maintenance, monitoring and evaluation. In addition, if participating students are interested in public engagement, students may choose to implement projects related to organizing volunteer work parties, researching and designing interpretive materials, creating social media campaigns, planning functional art or doing other priorities identified in the UO Willamette River Natural Area Action Plan. This is a one-term ELP project that will meet 4-6pm on Mondays and 9am-5pm on Fridays.
Spring 2025 Projects
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROJECTS
CONSERVATION SCIENCE PROJECTS
Aves Compartidas 2025
Working in partnership with Ecology in Classrooms & Outdoors (ECO) and River Road Elementary School, this team developed and implemented activities that explore the amazing world of birds. We focused on the migratory birds that connect us with our partner watershed in Laja, Mexico. We explored how to integrate World Migratory Bird Day into our activities and how to raise awareness of the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats. The team facilitated five weeks of classroom lessons and lead three field trips – one each for the third, fourth and fifth grade – in spring term. This project built on the work of the Aves Compartidas 2024 team.
Wildlife & Parks 2025
How can parks be managed to improve habitat for wildlife and increase people’s enjoyment of wildlife and nature, yet minimize impacts of human activities on wildlife populations? In partnership with Friends of Buford Park and Mt. Pisgah, this team monitored coyote behavior in response to habitat management (ecological burning) and human disturbance. This team also collected observational data and conducted visitor opinion surveys related to seasonal trail closures designed to protect denning coyotes. Lastly, since dog waste (poop) is a pollutant that affects the visitor experience, watershed health, and transmission of disease to native wildlife, this team collected observational data on dog and human behavior relative to dog waste, then conducted an experiment examining the effects of location of dog waste collection cans on people’s willingness to pick up their dog(s)’ waste. This project built upon the 2024 Wildlife & Parks team’s work.
Climate Science 2025
This team engaged middle-schoolers in learning about old-growth forests and climate science. Their mission was to show science in action and engage students in an interdisciplinary exploration of climate issues. They implemented investigations that collected and examined data related to native flora, nature’s calendar, microclimates, and wildfires. The team visited classrooms and lead full day field trips to the Andrews Forest in spring term. They worked in partnership with the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest and various local schools. This project built on the work of the Climate Science 2024 team.
Restoration & Research 2025
With the overall goals of providing shade for Goose Creek and habitat for pollinators, ELP teams have been implementing and maintaining a riparian restoration project at an organic farm—Whitewater Ranch—since 2014. The plantings are thriving, so this team began transitioning the project to “free to grow” status by interplanting, removing weed mats, controlling non-native blackberry, and continuing our long-term monitoring of vegetation, pollinators and water temperature. In addition, in partnership with the UO Ponisio Lab, this team also collected data in research plots that are examining ways to enhance pollinator populations after major disturbances such the September 2020 Holiday Farm Fire and post-fire timber harvest. This project built upon the 2023 and 2024 Restoration & Research teams’ work (as well as the 2014-2022 Sustainable Farms, Riparian Restoration, Promoting Pollinators teams’ work).
Wild Wanderers 2025
This team’s mission was inspired by the work of 90by30, an organization dedicated to stopping child abuse, neglect and identity-based violence before they occur. The team facilitated classroom pre-trip lessons on Tuesdays and all-day field trips on Thursdays in spring term, getting out onto the trails at Mt. Pisgah Arboretum (MPA) with first and second graders to help them cultivate a personal connection to nature. Activities focused on cultivating joy and sensory awareness – including scavenger hunts and nature journaling – with the goal of providing a warm, cooperative social context for connecting with each other and nature. The team worked in partnership with MPA, various local elementary schools, and 90by30. This project built on the work of the Wild Wanderers 2024 team.
Oregon Ash
Oregon Ash trees stabilize wetland soils, help filter pollutants and provide important wildlife habitat. The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a destructive invasive beetle accidentally introduced to North America. It has resulted in the death of tens of millions of ash trees in the eastern United States, dramatically changing ecosystems. Because EAB was discovered in the Portland area during 2022, the City of Eugene’s natural area personnel have started monitoring to characterize existing Oregon Ash forests and to survey for EAB presence in Eugene’s parks and natural areas. This team worked with city staff to implement a comprehensive protocol to measure plant community composition and ash density to inform future park management.