Field Manual & Media Production Plan
This handbook is the complete operational manual for the Siskiyou Field Notes project.
It consolidates editorial philosophy, publishing strategy, watershed storytelling structure, expedition planning, field documentation methods, and media production workflows.
Siskiyou Field Notes is designed as a long-term place-based media project documenting the Elk River watershed and the Port Orford region of southern Oregon.
The guiding concept is simple: return repeatedly to the same landscapes over many years and document the evolving story of the watershed.
Project Vision
Siskiyou Field Notes exists to document the landscapes, ecosystems, and seasonal rhythms of the Elk River watershed and surrounding Port Orford region. The project blends literary nature writing, documentary filmmaking, photography, and geographic storytelling. Rather than chasing novelty, the project returns to the same locations repeatedly over many years. Through repetition, observation deepens. Over time the work becomes a documentary record of place.
Mission
• Document seasonal ecological change across the watershed.
• Create compelling storytelling through essays, films, and photography.
• Build an audience that values landscape and ecological literacy.
• Develop a long-term archive of geographic media.
• Support conservation awareness through narrative.
Publishing & Media Production Business Model
Siskiyou Field Notes operates as an independent publishing and media production studio. The project produces original essays, documentary short films, photography, and a monthly newsletter.
Distribution occurs through a central website supported by Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and email publication.
The long-term value of the project lies in the accumulated archive of media documenting the watershed.
Core Media Products
• Literary essays (1500–2500 words)
• Short documentary films (6–12 minutes)
• Photo essays
• Monthly email newsletter
• Short form social media storytelling
Editorial Philosophy
Siskiyou Field Notes draws inspiration from the tradition of literary nature writing.
The tone of the project should remain observational, reflective, and grounded in direct experience. The work should invite readers and viewers to slow down and pay attention to the landscape. Instead of overt advocacy, ecological awareness emerges naturally through observation.
Core Editorial Pillars
Everything should fall into one of these recurring themes:
Seasonal Ecology
Rivers, forest change, fog, storms, salmon cycles, wildflowers.Place-Based Observation
Small details of the Elk River watershed and coastal forests.Stewardship & Responsibility
What it means to care for land.Field Practice
Walking, noticing, listening, recording.Personal Relationship With Landscape
Why the place matters.Quiet Wonder
Beauty, humor, unexpected moments.
Watershed Story Map Strategy
The Elk River watershed provides the geographic narrative structure of the project.
Stories gradually trace the flow of water from mountain headwaters to the Pacific Ocean. This structure ensures the project develops geographic coherence rather than becoming a random collection of stories.
Watershed Narrative Zones
• Headwaters
• Mountain Forest
• Tributary Streams
• River Corridor
• Floodplain
• Estuary
• Pacific Ocean
Primary Story Locations Across the Watershed
• Bald Mountain Ridge
• Iron Mountain Forest
• Panther Creek
• Bald Mountain Creek
• Elk River Road Corridor
• Butler Bar
• Elk River Fish Hatchery
• Elk River Bridge
• Anvil Creek Confluence
• Floodplain Forest
• Elk River Estuary
• Paradise Point
• Port Orford Heads
• Battle Rock Beach
• Humbug Mountain
• Floras Lake
• Sixes River
• Cape Blanco
• Blacklock Point
• Port Orford Harbor
Three-Year Expedition Calendar
MONTH LOCATION 1 LOCATION 2
January Port Orford Heads Elk River Mouth
February Cape Blanco Battle Rock Beach
March Elk River Road Panther Creek
April Upper Elk River Tributary Streams
May Humbug Mountain Elk River Corridor
June Floras Lake Sixes River
July Elk River Pools Butler Bar
August Forest Corridor Humbug Mountain Trails
September Iron Mountain Forest Elk River Road
October Tributary Creeks Elk River Corridor
November Port Orford Heads Blacklock Point
December Elk River Estuary Port Orford Harbor
Field rhythm:
2 field days per month
2 locations per trip
1 monthly content cycle
Estimated weekly time commitment.
Video editing
3–4 hours
Writing
2–3 hours
Photo editing
1–2 hours
Publishing / social
1 hour
Total
~8–10 hours per week
After three years I will have:
36 essays
36 films
36 photo essays
450+ social posts
a geographic archive of ~20 locations
Field Filmmaking Guide
• Capture wide establishing landscapes.
• Film environmental medium shots showing motion.
• Record close ecological details such as moss, fungi, insects, and water droplets.
• Include walking shots to create narrative continuity.
• Record atmospheric scenes including fog, wind, and storms.
Photography Targets Per Field Trip
• 20 landscape images
• 30 ecological detail images
• 20 forest textures
• 10 river scenes
• 10 weather images
Ambient Audio Recording Targets
• River current
• Wind through trees
• Bird calls
• Ocean waves
• Rain on leaves
Essay Writing Prompts
• What surprised me today?
• What seasonal change is visible?
• What sounds define this place?
• What small detail deserves attention?
• What story is the river telling today?
• What relationships exist between species here?
• What historical layers exist in this landscape?
• What might this place look like in another season?
Newsletter Structure
• Opening reflection (300–500 words)
• Photo of the month
• Essay link
• Film link
• Short field observation
• Closing note
Hashtag Strategy
Focus on regional and ecological tags.
Examples:
#portorford
#oregoncoast
#elkriver
#siskiyoumountains
#pnwforest
#coastalforest
Posting Frequency: 3–4 posts per week
Rhythm:
Monday — photo
Wednesday — reel
Friday — photo
Sunday — reel
Content Production Structure
Each monthly field trip should produce three levels of media assets.
Tier 1 — Anchor Content
These are the main works.
1 long essay
1 documentary-style video
1 photo essay
Tier 2 — Social Distribution Content
These promote anchor pieces.
4–6 Instagram posts
4–6 reels
Facebook posts
Tier 3 — Archive Content
Material stored for future projects:
additional photos
ambient audio
unused video
Media Archive System
A central principle of Siskiyou Field Notes is the creation of a longnterm geographic archive. Every photograph, film clip, and audio recording should include location and date metadata.
Recommended archive structure: Year → Month → Location.
• Maintain raw media archives
• Export final edited media
• Tag all photos with location metadata
• Preserve field notes and essay drafts
Guiding Principle
The strength of Siskiyou Field Notes comes from returning repeatedly to the same landscapes. Over time the project becomes a documentary record of the Elk River watershed.
Connections / Links
South Coast Watershed Council
The South Coast Watershed Council is a local, non-regulatory watershed restoration and stewardship organization on the southern Oregon coast. It focuses on the health of coastal rivers and streams from Floras Creek/New River south to the Winchuck River, working closely with landowners, agencies, and communities to restore habitat and improve water quality.
Coos Watershed Association
Coos Watershed Association is a nonprofit, community-based watershed council in coastal Oregon focused on restoring and stewarding the Coos watershed (around Coos Bay). It works with landowners, agencies, and residents to balance ecological health with the region’s working landscapes and economy. Founded in 1994, it is one of more than 90 watershed councils in Oregon.
KS Wild
KS Wild (Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center) is a regional conservation nonprofit organization focused on protecting and restoring wild nature in the Klamath-Siskiyou ecoregion of southern Oregon and northern California. It combines legal advocacy, policy work, science, and community organizing to defend forests, rivers, wildlife, and public lands across this biodiversity-rich landscape.
Wild Salmon Center
The Wild Salmon Center is a nonprofit conservation organization focused on protecting wild Pacific salmon, steelhead, and their freshwater and marine habitats across the North Pacific Rim. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, it works with governments, communities, and industry to safeguard rivers where wild salmon populations remain strong.
South Coast Fishermen's Association
South Coast Fishermen's Association is a regional fishing and marine-resource advocacy organization based on the southern Oregon coast. It represents commercial and recreational fishers and related coastal stakeholders, focusing on sustainable fisheries, healthy marine ecosystems, and the economic vitality of port communities.
Seven Seeds Farm
Seven Seeds Farm is a biodynamic, certified-organic family farm and seed operation in southwest Oregon. It serves as the home base for Siskiyou Seeds, where a large diversity of open-pollinated and regionally adapted crops are grown, including many Pacific Northwest natives.
Dragonfly Nursery
Dragonfly Nursery (formally known as Dragonfly Farm & Nursery) is a family-run plant nursery and small farm near Langlois on the southern Oregon coast. It’s known for a large selection of ornamentals and edible plants, a woodland garden setting, and frequent community events on the property.
Coquille Indian Tribe
The Coquille Indian Tribe is a federally recognized Native American tribe based in southwestern Oregon. Descended from coastal peoples who lived for millennia along the Coquille River and Coos Bay, the tribe regained federal recognition in 1989 after decades of termination. It is a sovereign government emphasizing cultural renewal, environmental stewardship, and regional economic vitality.
Curry Coastal Pilot
The Curry Coastal Pilot is a weekly community newspaper based in Brookings, Oregon, serving Curry County and the surrounding South Coast region. It focuses on local news, government, schools, business, sports, and coastal lifestyle coverage for the Brookings–Harbor area and nearby communities.
Port Orford News
Port Orford News is a small, locally focused weekly newspaper and online outlet serving the coastal community of Port Orford in Curry County, Oregon. It covers hyperlocal news, government, schools, events, and issues relevant to residents on the southern Oregon coast.