Who hasn’t had the fantasy of retreating to a cabin in the woods away from distractions and finally writing that book? Or collection of essays? Or graphic novel? Or…
We’re excited to partner with Oregon State University’s Spring Creek Project to help one writer do just that!
This Environmental Writing Fellowship (May 2023 to May 2024) will focus on the critical relationship between climate change and Oregon’s forests. It includes a $3000 honorarium and a residency at the Cabin at Shotpouch Creek in the Coast Range for up to four weeks (this time could be split into multiple blocks, and family members are welcome)!
The forests of the Oregon Coast Range are part of a vast ecosystem spanning from Northern California to the Tongass National Forest in Alaska. The Pacific temperate rainforest is, acre for acre, better than the Amazon Rainforest at absorbing and storing carbon. If left to grow, the majestic cedars, spruces, hemlocks, and firs can hold carbon for an astonishing 800 years or more.
These forests are climate forests. As we work toward stabilizing the climate, there is no technology that can sequester carbon at the scale of maturing and ancient forests. Yet less than 10% of Oregon’s old-growth forest remains. Throughout the Oregon Coast Range, the patchwork scars of ongoing industrial clearcuts and wide-scale liquidation of ancient forests are visible reminders of our limited imaginations and understanding of the true value of these forests. We need to rethink our relationship with Oregon’s climate forests.
We’re seeking writers who can provide novel perspectives or reach new audiences—writers interested in telling stories that can change minds, hearts, and policy. We invite writers to help readers across the country and around the world imagine the roles of these forests, especially their role in climate stabilization.
The Cabin at Shotpouch Creek is a comfortable two-bedroom cabin nestled in the Oregon Coast Range on a 70-acre nature reserve about 25 miles west of Corvallis. The house overlooks Shotpouch Creek, a tributary of the Marys River. From the cabin, miles of hiking trails climb into the forest- and fern-covered hills.
This is an exciting opportunity to help tell the story of Oregon’s climate forests. Learn more about the project and please share with any family or friends!
