The Oregon Oaks Monitoring Project, part of University of Oregon Environmental Leadership Program, collected baseline data in order to improve conservation management and recreation at Thurston Hills Natural Area (THNA). Eleven team members surveyed, mapped, and assessed the health of Oregon white oaks at THNA. The goal of the project was to provide our community partner, Willamalane Park and Recreation District, with the tools to make adaptive management decisions relative to oak savanna conservation and restoration, as well as recreational development.

Thurston Hills Natural Area (THNA) is owned and maintained by Willamalane Park and Recreation District located in Springfield, Oregon. THNA is a heavily sloped site with approximately 665 acres comprised of mixed grasslands, oak woodlands, and oak savannas, and conifer forest. Historic fire suppression has allowed conifers to encroach upon oak trees in the region, causing a shift overtime from oak grassland to dense, conifer dominant forests. The loss of this valuable oak habitat calls for urgent management decisions in the interest of restoration. The site also offers plentiful opportunities for recreational development, including hiking trails, birdwatching, and mountain biking trails.

For more information about Thurston Hills Natural Area: https://willamalane.org/park/thurston-hills-natural-area/