Will add more as I find them.
-bv

http://www.facebook.com/pages/IB-World-Student-Conference/101571316560306

Here’s the update

What is the Willamette Valley?
From Travel Oregon.com:

The Willamette Valley is the heart of Oregon’s agriculture country. During spring and summer growing seasons, roadside stands dot the country lanes, and farmers’ markets appear in the valley’s historic towns. Covered bridges beckon drivers to explore the many back roads, and the valley’s flat terrain and temperate climate make it a favorite for hikers and cyclists, who also enjoy the paved paths in the college towns of Eugene and Corvallis. Nestled among its rolling hills are over 200 wineries producing a medley of vintages—Pinot noir, Pinot gris and Riesling to mention a few. The valley, dubbed Oregon’s Wine Country, is one of Oregon’s major wine-growing regions.

The Willamette Valley

Salem, Oregon is the state capitol and in the Willamette Valley

“…the word Willamette comes from the Clackamas (a subsection of the lower Columbia Chinook) indians. They called the dwelling/fishing site across from where the Clackamas River enters the Willamette River, near Willamette Falls, Wallamt.”

Willamette Falls on the Willamette River

Originally, the Willamette River flows north from its source in Eugene, Oregon into the Columbia River near Portland. It has two distinctions, it is one of the few rivers in the US that flows in a northerly direction and is the largest river lying wholly within one state.

When you visit, you’ll be greeted by warm, dry weather which is typical for August in the valley. From Wikipedia:

Characterized by cool wet winters and warm dry summers, the Willamette Valley’s climate is relatively mild throughout the year. It has been described as Mediterranean, although somewhat cooler and wetter. Most valley precipitation arrives as rain, about half of which falls between December and February.

Our next profile: Oregon State University

Oregon – The Beaver State

Oregon Flag-Front side

The Beaver adorns the reverse side of the State Flag.

From Wikipedia:

Oregon enjoys a diverse landscape including a scenic and windswept Pacific coastline, the volcanoes of a rugged and glaciated Cascade Mountain Range, dense evergreen forests, and high desert across much of the eastern portion of the state. The towering Douglas firs and redwoods along the rainy Western Oregon coast provide a dramatic contrast with the lower density and fire prone pine tree and juniper forests covering portions of the Eastern half of the state. The eastern portion of the state also includes semi-arid scrublands, prairies, deserts, and meadows. These drier areas stretch east from Central Oregon. Mount Hood is the highest point in the state at 11,249 feet (3,429 m). Crater Lake National Park is the only national park in Oregon.

Crater Lake National Park

Portland, Oregon with Mt. Hood in the background

Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the state of Oregon. As of July 2009, it has an estimated population of 582,130 making it the 29th most populous in the United States. It has been referred to as the most environmentally friendly or “green” city in the United States and the second most in the world. Portland is Oregon’s most populous city, and the third most populous city in the Pacific Northwest, after Seattle, Washington, and Vancouver, British Columbia. Approximately two million people live in the Portland metropolitan area (MSA), the 23rd most populous in the United States as of July 2006.

O.H. Hinsdale Wave Laboratory

The OSU College of Engineering is home to the largest and most advanced tsunami wave research facility in the world. The longest “channel” wave tank in North America is also located at the facility, the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory.

The O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory together with the Coastal and Ocean Engineering Program at Oregon State University is a leading center for research and education in coastal engineering and nearshore science.

If you time it right, you might be able to see experiments being conducted on the various webcams set around the facility. And once in awhile, you might see somebody surfing the channel tank wave.

IB World Student Conference- August 9-13, 2010, Oregon State University
Five days of enriching activities aim to foster cultural awareness and communication, celebrate global citizenship and empower youth to make decisions for a just and sustainable world.

-bv