Following partner consultation in 2022-24, ACCF wishes to share with you our background and vision for future:
Alder Creek Community Forest was founded over 20 years ago on the Proctor Memorial Forest in southern Douglas County, Oregon. We have hosted countless school groups and community members seeking a safe outdoor learning experience, though we have faced perennial challenges in staffing and financial support.
In 2022-23 we solicited ideas from a wide range of partners on our future; and during 2023-24 we drew these partners together to come up with a realistic vision. We now are excited to share this vision, and to solicit your support in making it a reality.
Alder Creek Community Forest will serve Douglas County and the region as an Oregon Outdoor School, offering a safe, quality learning experience to upper elementary students grounded in our Story of Your Place curriculum. Our upgraded outdoor school facilities and trails infrastructure will also serve other K-12 and lifelong learning and recreation needs, as ACCF remains committed to local schools and the community.
Alder Creek Community Forest (ACCF) is a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit founded in 2002. We offer K-12 and lifelong learning, and teacher professional development, on our 80 acre forest and throughout Douglas County.
ACCF operates on the Proctor Memorial Forest (PMF), located one mile west of Canyonville, Oregon. Robert and Virginia Proctor of Canyonville, Oregon were active in community and educational service in southern Douglas County for over fifty years. When Bob and Ginny passed away, their children devoted the land they inherited to carry on their parents’ spirit of serving educational and community needs.
ACCF has developed PMF to serve as an outdoor learning site, including an open-air educational pavilion and 3.5 miles of signed trails. In addition to its learning site, ACCF collaborates with organizations including the Umpqua Valley STEAM Hub for outreach to teachers and students in Douglas County, the Center for Geography Education in Oregon (C-GEO) for educational outreach across Oregon, and the GLOBE K-12 field science initiative to build connections around the world.