The PSU Oak Savanna is an experimental research landscape featuring native Oregon white oak trees, Western service berry, and a meadow seed mix from Heritage Seedlings in Stayton, OR. As the orchard grows and wildflowers bloom, we hope that the space provides opportunities for invertebrate monitoring and conservation, in addition to serving to educate the public about the unique and important habitat functions that Oregon’s white oak ecosystems provide. 
Oregon’s white oak savannas are the most endangered habitat type in the state of Oregon. It is estimated that only 2% of native oaks continue to exist in the Willamette Valley’s landscapes. Early records suggest that nearly 4,000 square kilometres of oaks once dominated the Valley, representing 30% of the total landscape. Around the Portland Metro area most oaks were removed for development. Some of the few spots that remain are located on steep hillside slopes around Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, the Willamette Bluffs, and University of Portland. Sauvie Island also hosts a healthy population of oaks some of which are hundreds of years old. For more information read: Oak Savanna brief
Student-led Sustainability 