What a wonderful summer it has been so far! Things are finally starting to slow down at KOSS after a busy season of outdoor school and summer camp programs. In early June we had all available staff travel over to Jackson county for one final large outdoor school group before school let out for summer. On the heels of outdoor school came our 20th Anniversary Celebration, which was enjoyed by all those at attendance. Then the real fun began, with our summer camp series: Artists and Scientists Camp, Youth Leaders Camp, Wetland Wonders Camp, and finally Chiloquin Teen Adventure Camp! Now we are into our summer rental phase as we start to gear up for the fall!
Below you will read about our 20th anniversary celebration, summer camps, staff spotlights, and more!
KOSS Celebrates its 20th Anniversary!
Co-Founder Ellen Patrick (left) and founder and current board president Marj Glass (right) pose in front of the Ponderosa Pavilion. The 20th Anniversary Celebration was an opportunity to recognize and honor the hard work and dedication of two decades worth of volunteers, board members, staff, and donors. There would be no Ponderosa Pavilion or KOSS campus without them.
Many were in attendance as KOSS celebrated its 20th anniversary on June 14th. Some of those who arrived early had the opportunity to go on a walk down to the Wood River with instructor Sam, or on an interpretive escarpment hike through Moe’s Trail with instructor Madeline. After dinner, a raffle followed, then a farewell to director Natalie, and finally a speech by stalwart president Marj to cap off the evening inside. Then, for those who had the time and didn’t mind a few mosquitos,
songs around the campfire followed! A few brave folks even decided to stay overnight in one of our emblematic yurts!
It took many years and many hands for KOSS to evolve into what is is today, and this event was a chance to recognize those efforts. But we aren’t done yet! We are a platform away from building a ninth yurt, and are always wanting to expand our facilities. Unrestricted donations give us the flexibility to prioritize spending as needed in the moment. Your tax-deductible donations can be sent digitally on our website or mailed to: P.O. Box 721, Klamath Falls, OR 97601.
Summer Camp Successes!
This summer has kept us busier than usual! While low signup numbers forced an unfortunate cancellation of Intro to Camp, we still managed to run four very successful camp sessions. Our first was Artists & Scientists camp, which was full of wonderful and incredibly curious campers! We also had some amazing guest presenters volunteer their time to teach art and science to our campers. A big thank you to Christy VanRooyen (OIT), Dan Brockman and Sara Boyko (BLM), Ethan Robison (Pollinator Project), and Debbie Stanton (local artist). If you or a group you represent have artistic or scientific knowledge to share at next years’ camp, drop us a line!
One of our campers was lucky enough to spot a rare frog, (a rattlin’ frog!), the Cascades Frog (Rana Cascadae) near the headwaters of the Wood River. We spent a lot of time down at the cool waters, even doing boat races this year!
The archaeology department from BLM showed up in a big way this year, sharing an atlatl (spear thrower) with campers. This weaponry, pre-dating the bow and arrow, was used by the Klamath and Modoc tribes for thousands of years to bring down big game.
Artists & Scientists was followed by our second annual Youth Leaders Camp. The older girl scouts really took the lead this year, creating a scavenger hunt, an orienteering course, setting up water games, and giving everyone the opportunity to fully explore the KOSS campus. We will be looking to expand this camp next summer, so if you know girl scouts in Jackson or Deschutes County looking for 2026 summer camp options, please reach out!
Painted murals on camp sheds has become a tradition, but campers here aren’t painting today. This was just a temporary stopping point on an orienteering journey, as older scouts helped the younger ones test out their compass skills.
First Annual Wetland Wonders Camp
Thanks to our partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, we were able to travel south to Tule Lake for Wetland Wonders, our first ever day camp! We were able to offer free transportation, so Director Kevin rode the bus down with a great group of excited campers. This camp focused on four days of exploration at the wetlands at Discovery Marsh, and one day at the Lava Beds. Due to popularity and capacity, we plan on increasing the number of campers for next year, so if you know someone ages 8-11, make sure to sign up early when camp registration opens in January!
An artistic interpretation of a Bufflehead in progress is presented during Riparian Creature Creation. This craft activity was enjoyed by many campers, who are given the opportunity to hone their public speaking skills and proudly present their creations to the whole group.
John Fitzroy, the faithful Visitor Services Manager to the refuge, can be seen here generously offering up time out of his busy schedule to instruct campers on archery basics. He even helped director Kevin try a few shots!
John went out of his way to be accommodating, setting out all necessary gear and even serving as a guide out on the canoe trail. We really can’t say enough good things about him, and encourage you to send him a thank you! john_fitzroy@fws.gov
First Annual Chiloquin Teen Adventure Camp
Our last summer camp program was another new day camp, brought to us by our friends over at Chiloquin Visions in Progress. This was a six week camp that introduced teens to art, biking, boating, swimming, camping, and more. Campers spent one of those weeks with us, where we explored our campus, the refuge, and the Lava Beds.
Staff Spotlights!
We like to acknowledge how hard working and energetic our instructors are. We will spotlight two of them today, but we’ll try to give everyone the opportunity in the future, as ALL of our staff members are amazing individuals!
Mikaela Lea
First up we have Mikaela Lea! Mikaela joined KOSS shortly after Natalie arrived in 2022, and is a relatively unsung hero in our ranks. Mikaela embraces empathy with campers, and her often unseen work as Education Manager developing curriculum, scheduling field trips, marketing and much more. Mikaela helps keep things running smoothly at KOSS, and we caught up with Mikaela recently to ask her a few questions.
What do you enjoy most about working at KOSS?
I love the wide variety of things I get to do throughout the year, but what I enjoy most is when a camper gets excited to show me something cool they found or made. It's really neat to see a camper go from hesitant to enthusiastic about trying something new, such as catching bugs or making an animal shelter.
Do you have a memorable outdoor school experience to share?
We've been slowly working on a new trail at camp that follows flags I placed back in 2023. This past spring, I took a few small groups on it, but there was one trio of rowdy boys who had been struggling in their learning group that was particularly memorable. I don't think I've ever seen campers get so excited to explore and check out all of the little things along the way! One of them brought along a camera and was taking photos of all of their observations. Then, their eyes got wide and they all went silent; the world stood still as they watched a squirrel on a stump pull and eat the seeds out of a pine cone. It's not that seeing a squirrel is especially thrilling…it was the way they were so taken aback by nature and in the moment.
When you're not overseeing programs answering emails, or developing curriculum, where might we find you?
You might find me out on my kayak, (hiding from the stresses of planning my wedding!)
Sarah Gray
Next we have Sarah Gray! Our most tenured instructor, Sarah has been with us for many years and is always willing to help when she’s available. We caught up with Sarah recently to ask him a few questions.
What do you enjoy most about working at KOSS?
One of the things I enjoy most about working for KOSS is being outdoors, and seeing the world through the eyes of kids.
Do you have a memorable outdoor school experience to share?
Years ago, I took my own class of students to spend the night in the yurts at KOSS. I had four male chaperones arranged for the boys yurt. Two chaperones were retired teachers, one was our classroom Foster Grandparent, and the final guy was an energetic dad. Good thing he was energetic, because the other three men took their hearing aids out when they went to bed, and slept well through the night.
When you're not teaching students outdoors, where might we find you?
When I'm not instructing at KOSS, you might find me hiking, gardening, or reading.
Donate if you can!
We strive to make our summer camps affordable, want to have many field trip opportunities, and are always trying to improve our facilities. But with rising operation costs, and limited grant funding, that is not always possible. Please consider donating. General purpose donations give us the flexibility to cover scholarship costs, maintenance, wages, and more.
You can donate on our website or mail check/cash donations to P.O. Box 721, Klamath Falls, OR 97601.
Klamath Outdoor Science School (KOSS) is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization with a mission to inspire a deep appreciation for natural resources, community, and the arts through hands-on outdoor education.
