In recent years there have been several studies reviewing the benefits and challenges of open pedagogy projects for student engagement and learning. This study adds to that literature by reporting on a survey of students who wrote case studies in three courses in forestry and conservation studies, most of whom agreed to publish publicly and with a Creative Commons license. Our results indicate that many students felt more motivated and engaged in the open pedagogy assignments compared to traditional assignments. Many also reported putting more effort into their assignment to ensure its accuracy and usefulness to others. In addition to improved understanding of copyright and citation practices, students learned how to translate knowledge for a broader audience and demonstrated an increased awareness of scholarly integrity. Still, a number of students reported increased stress with this assignment. We conclude with some recommendations to support students in such projects while reducing stress.