How We Do It

The Outdoors is our Classroom

The Outdoors is our Classroom

Butte Falls is the center of natural resources in Southern Oregon. It’s the place where crystal clear water comes bubbling out of the ground to supply the Medford Water District, the provider of most of the fresh water consumed in Jackson County. Butte Falls is a former lumber town surrounded by forests that supplied much of the timber that kept the Medford Corporation and other area lumber mills operating for most of the 20th century.

Butte Falls is also situated at the foot of Mt. McLaughlin, an extinct volcano that serves as a snow-capped landmark for the region. Nearby are wilderness areas, fresh mountain lakes and streams, wildlife and plants, and spectacular scenery.

It’s the perfect setting to learn about natural resources - a subject our students study in every class. In math, students estimate the height of towering fir trees by measuring shadows. In economics, they learn to solve public resource supply and demand issues with the help of a customized game called “Timber.” In government, students spend time with representatives of the U S Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife Department, and other agencies to understand stewardship and management of public land. Of course, BFCS science students use the outdoors as a living laboratory for experimentation and research.

We even have our own Natural Resource Center. It’s a former Oregon state fish hatchery located a short drive from Butte Falls Charter School.

No other school has a backyard as big as ours. It’s one of the things that makes Butte Falls Charter School special.