Explore Oregon

Though we conduct research around the globe, Colwell Geomicrobiology Lab is right at home in the Willamette Valley of Oregon where our backyard is a biogeochemical playground. Join us here to take part in our weekend adventures.

Stargazing Opportunity!

Visiting Corvallis during some clear weather, or maybe you live here?  Want to see the sky and share the experience with a few friends or family?  Click here or on the image below to request an evening stargazing walk that takes about an hour but reaches forward and back in time over millennia.

Dr. Rick Colwell points out Saturn, just North of Mt. Jefferson in the Cascade Range. Photo Credit: Tom Spies 2020

Romping through Netarts Bay, Oregon to collect cores

Photo credit: Jessica Buser-Young

North Creek in Siuslaw National Forest near Lincoln City, Oregon

Photo by David Rothwell of Frederick Colwell, Dave Van Domelen, and dog Tulsi.

Iron floc and manganese patina in Waldport, Oregon

Photo credit: Austin Williams

Biking on the Oregon Coast surrounded by basalt sea stacks

Photo Credit: Heidi

Successful wild chanterelle harvest from Oregon’s Coast Range!

Photo Credit: Rick Colwell

Summer hike on Iron Mountain near Jefferson Wilderness, Western Cascades

Left to right: Rowan Nelson, Thomas Close, Peter Buser-Young, Jessica Buser-Young, Chloe Cornejo, Rick Colwell, Kelly Shannon. Photo by Rowan Nelson.

Hike to the summit of Smith Rock in Terrebonne, Eastern Oregon

Photo Credit: Jessica BuserYoung

Home-grown heirloom tomato ripening in the Willamette Valley

Photo Credit: Jessica BuserYoung

The Pacific Northwest expresses an unmatched grandeur. Persistent lava flows carved and shaped Oregon’s coastline, creating steep basalt cliffs and etherial sea stacks. Old growth forests stand tall as giants in the Coastal Range, preserving ecological rarities. Continuous and violent volcanic eruptions form the Cascade Mountains to the East, boasting magnificent peaks. Adventure awaits!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email