gardening/farming

Metro's Winter twigs of Graham Oaks Nature Park

Sunday, February 24, 2013 - 1:00pm to 3:30pm
Metro
Address: 
Southwest Wilsonville Road
adjacent to Inza R. Wood Middle School
Wilsonville, OR
United States

1 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24


Have you ever wished you could tell one evergreen from another, or identify a tree in winter by its bark or buds? Can you read the history of a piece of land by looking at its forest? Join Metro naturalist Deb Scrivens for a walk in the woods to unravel these mysteries and more. The forest at this natural area is a living laboratory of Northwest trees. Suitable for ages 12 and older.


Registration and payment of $6 per adult or $11 per family required in advance. You can register and pay online for Metro activities. Go to www.oregonmetro.gov/calendar, find your event by searching or browsing, and follow the instructions. For questions, call 503-797-1650 option 2.

Contact Name: 
Metro Parks
Contact Phone: 
503-797-1650
Contact Email: 
parks@oregonmetro.gov
Venue: 
Graham Oaks Nature Park
Venue Details: 
Explore trails, restored oak woodlands, a conifer forest and rich wildlife at Metro's new Graham Oaks Nature Park in Wilsonville. Ride your bike on the Tonquin Trail, stroll through a conifer forest or spot birds from a wetland overlook at Metro's Graham Oaks Nature Park in Wilsonville.
 
 This 250-acre destination is a playground not just for people, but also for wildlife. With restored oak woodlands growing bigger every year, Graham Oaks provides important habitat for native birds and mammals. Bring your family, bring your camera, bring a picnic to the sustainable new picnic shelter. Bring your curiosity, and learn how voters helped renew this special landscape.
 
 Three miles of trails traverse Graham Oaks, allowing visitors to explore several habitats in a single park. Cyclists and joggers can take the paved Tonquin Trail, which eventually will connect Wilsonville, Tualatin and Sherwood. A spur trail leads to a wetland overlook, perfect for bird-watchers; Coyote Way meanders through young oak woodlands. For a bit of shade, follow the Legacy Creek Trail through a rich conifer forest where thousands of species thrive. Be sure to visit Graham Oaks’ five plazas – perfect spots to rest, reflect and learn about the park. Be on the lookout for native wildlife such as white-breasted nuthatch, Western bluebird, orange-crowned warbler and Western gray squirrels.
 
 A historical landscape
 Graham Oaks has a long and storied history, from the Kalapuyan tribes who gathered food here to the family that farmed the land – and the voters who helped purchase the site, restore its habitat and open it as a nature park. 
 
 Greening Graham Oaks
 Did you know Graham Oaks is one of the region’s greenest parks? At Graham Oaks, pervious pavement in the parking lot manages stormwater and removes pollutants. Solar panels on the restroom feed into the City of Wilsonville’s electric grid, and the beautiful stonework at the plazas and overlooks is Columbia River Gorge basalt stone. Find out about sustainable strategies used in the design, materials and construction. 
 
 A living laboratory
 Graham Oaks serves as an outdoor classroom for Inza Wood Middle School, Boones Ferry Primary School and CREST, the environmental education center operated by the West Linn-Wilsonville School District. Students study the rich wildlife, habitat and cultural history of Graham Oaks – an undertaking that helped create artwork and books showcased at the grand opening.
 
 Access
 Graham Oaks Nature Park is free and open from 6:30 a.m. to legal sunset. Many of the park features are wheelchair accessible, although some trails offer a higher level of challenge. There is limited parking at the park entrance. Parking is not allowed at any of the schools. There is a permanent bike parking structure at the entrance of the park, accommodating a total of six bikes. Bikes are permitted only on the Tonquin Trail.
 
 Typically, dogs are not allowed at Metro parks and natural areas in order to protect sensitive habitats, local wildlife and plants. Metro is making an exception by allowing dogs on the Tonquin Trail at Graham Oaks because it is a regional throughway. Dogs must be on-leash at all times, and are not allowed anywhere else in the park.
Cost: 
$6 per adult or $11 per family, required in advance

Metro's Winter birds at Smith and Bybee Wetlands

Saturday, February 16, 2013 - 10:00am to 12:30pm
Metro
Address: 
5300 N. Marine Drive
Portland, OR 97203
United States

10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.


Saturdays, Feb. 16 and March 16


Winter is an active time at the wetlands with lots of water birds - ducks, geese, coots and grebes. Raptors such as red-tailed hawks and bald eagles are common; sightings of falcons and other hawks are possible. The wetlands' year-round residents as well as a few winter songbirds are easier to see because all the leaves are gone. Bring binoculars or borrow a pair on site; spotting scopes provided. Suitable for ages 9 and older. Meet Metro naturalist James Davis in the parking lot at 5300 N. Marine Drive. Registration and payment of $6 per adult or $11 per family required in advance. You can register and pay online for Metro activities. Go to www.oregonmetro.gov/calendar, find your event by searching or browsing, and follow the instructions. For questions, call 503-797-1650 option 2.

Contact Name: 
Metro Parks
Contact Phone: 
503-797-1650
Contact Email: 
parks@oregonmetro.gov
Venue: 
Smith and Bybee Wetlands
Venue Details: 
Home to beaver, river otter, black-tailed deer, osprey, bald eagles and Western painted turtles, this 2,000-acre natural area offers accessible wildlife watching, a canoe launch and more.
 
 At nearly 2,000 acres, Metro’s Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area is the largest protected wetlands within an American city. This beautiful natural area is one of the region’s best-kept secrets, hiding in a part of Portland surrounded by port terminals, warehouses and other commercial developments. Most visitors to the natural area are surprised to find beaver, river otter, black-tailed deer, osprey, bald eagles and Western painted turtles living only minutes from downtown Portland.
 
 Recent improvements at the wetlands include a new canoe launch area and improved access for paddlers as well as restrooms, interpretive displays, a covered shelter, parking for 40 cars, a bus drop-off and public art.
 
 Wind your way through the wetlands on the Interlakes Trail, a paved, accessible trail that includes two wildlife viewing platforms. Another great way to explore the natural area is by boat.
 
 Another interesting feature of the natural area is the now-closed St. Johns Landfill, a former wetland that was filled and served as the region’s primary garbage disposal site from 1940 to 1991. Since then, Metro has been implementing environmental protection measures to safely reintegrate the 238-acre landfill site into its natural environs.
Cost: 
$6 per adult or $11 per family, required in advance

Metro's Native Plant Center seed scout training

Saturday, March 16, 2013 - 9:00am to 3:00pm
Metro
Address: 
2661 SW Borland Road
Tualatin, OR 97062
United States

Interested in tracking phenology of native wildflowers? Would you like to learn to identify flowers from their seed heads? Volunteering as a seed scout with Metro's Native Plant Center may be a good fit for you. Volunteer requirements: a field application, two training days and a commitment to 40 volunteer hours, March through September. To register, call Marsha Holt-Kingsley at 503-701-7554 or download the application online at www.oregonmetro.gov/nativeplantcenter.

Contact Name: 
Metro Parks
Contact Phone: 
503-701-7554
Contact Email: 
parks@oregonmetro.gov
Venue: 
Metro's Native Plant Center
Venue Details: 
Metro's Native Plant Center provides an essential supply of rare native seeds and plant stock to support Metro's restoration projects.
 
 Metro’s Native Plant Center, located near Wanker’s Corner in Tualatin, provides an essential supply of rare native seeds and plant stock to support Metro’s restoration projects.
 
 In its first year more than 4,650 native trees and shrubs grown at the plant center went into the ground at ten different Metro natural areas. A long-term goal of the project is to be able to share stock and seeds with other organizations working on restoration throughout the region.
Cost: 
free

Metro's Native Plant Center volunteer venture

Saturday, February 2, 2013 - 9:00am to 1:00pm
Metro
Address: 
2661 SW Borland Road
Tualatin, OR 97062
United States

Volunteer at Metro's Native Plant Center in Tualatin and help care for the rare native seeds, bulbs and plant materials that support regional restoration projects. Winter activities include harvesting and planting native bulbs, planting seeds, transplanting seedlings and nursery maintenance tasks. No experience necessary. Gloves, tools, water and snack provided. Advance registration required; call 503-797-1653.

Contact Name: 
Metro Parks
Contact Phone: 
503-797-1650
Contact Email: 
parks@oregonmetro.gov
Venue: 
Metro's Native Plant Center
Venue Details: 
Metro's Native Plant Center provides an essential supply of rare native seeds and plant stock to support Metro's restoration projects. Metro’s Native Plant Center, located near Wanker’s Corner in Tualatin, provides an essential supply of rare native seeds and plant stock to support Metro’s restoration projects. In its first year more than 4,650 native trees and shrubs grown at the plant center went into the ground at ten different Metro natural areas. A long-term goal of the project is to be able to share stock and seeds with other organizations working on restoration throughout the region.
Cost: 
free

Native Plants for Erosion Control

Saturday, January 26, 2013 - 10:00am to 12:00pm
West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District
Address: 
5151 NW Cornell Road
Portland, OR 97210
United States

If your property has a slope, stream bank or other area prone to erosion, this is the workshop for you! Native plants are adapted to our climate and  create a web of roots to support your soil. This class, sponsored by West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District and Audubon Society of Portland, only costs $10 and includes a tour of nearby restored sites.  Every participant receives a free 4" native plant!  Register at: http://audubonportland.org/trips-classes-camps/adult/classes/erosion.

Contact Name: 
Carolyn Lindberg
Contact Phone: 
503-238-4775, ext. 101
Contact Email: 
carolyn@wmswcd.org
Venue: 
Audubon Society of Portland, Heron Hall
Cost: 
$10.00

Fourth Annual Garden Home Sustainability Fair

Tuesday, April 30, 2013 - 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Garden Home Rec Center
Address: 
7475 SW Oleson Road
Portland, OR 97223
United States

Fourth Annual Garden Home Sustainability Fair

Free and open to the public - family friendly. Peruse booths on various sustainable topics and businesses from natural gardening to recycling to resource conservation to green living to saving money in your home.

This year the Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation Dept. is a partner and will be participating!

Previous participants include: Master Recyclers, One Stop Sustainability Shop, Portland Purple Water, Tualatin Valley Water District, Regional Green Building Hotline, New Seasons Market, Happy Baby Organic Baby Food, and Green Depot. 

For more info or to get a booth contact Heather at 503-245-9932 or heatherw@wccls.org.

Contact Name: 
Heather Waisanen
Contact Phone: 
503-245-9932
Contact Email: 
heatherw@wccls.org
Venue: 
Garden Home Rec Center
Cost: 
free

FREE Native Plant Workshop!

Thursday, January 10, 2013 - 6:00pm to 8:30pm
EMSWCD Office
Address: 
5211 N Williams Ave
Portland, OR 97217
United States

Attend a FREE Native Plant Workshop before placing your online plant sale pre-order! We will show you the defining characteristics and desired growing conditions of the species that will be available during our 2013 Pre-order Native Plant Sale so you can make an informed decision about which plants will work well in your yard. Discover how putting the right plant in the right place helps it thrive, and lets you enjoy more time and less work in the garden! Space is limited and advanced registration is required. Don't delay - register today at http://www.emswcd.org/workshops-events/register-for-a-workshop.

Contact Name: 
Katie Meckes
Contact Phone: 
503-935-5368
Contact Email: 
katie@emswcd.org
Venue: 
EMSWCD Office
Cost: 
FREE!

FREE Native Plant Workshop!

Tuesday, January 8, 2013 - 6:00pm to 8:30pm
EMSWCD Office
Address: 
5211 N Williams Ave
Portland, OR 97217
United States

Attend a FREE Native Plant Workshop before placing your online plant sale pre-order! We will show you the defining characteristics and desired growing conditions of the species that will be available during our 2013 Pre-order Native Plant Sale so you can make an informed decision about which plants will work well in your yard. Discover how putting the right plant in the right place helps it thrive, and lets you enjoy more time and less work in the garden! Space is limited and advanced registration is required. Don't delay - register today at http://www.emswcd.org/workshops-events/register-for-a-workshop.

Contact Name: 
Katie Meckes
Contact Phone: 
503-935-5368
Contact Email: 
katie@emswcd.org
Venue: 
EMSWCD Office
Cost: 
FREE!

Metro Natural Gardening Programs: Native Plants for Birds, Bees and Butterflies

Saturday, June 8, 2013 - 1:00pm to 2:30pm
Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation District
Address: 
18892 SW Kemmer Road
Beaverton, OR 97007
United States

Eager to see beneficial birds, butterflies and gentle native bees? Discover how native plants can bring these allies to your yard, helping fight pests and improving garden productivity. Learn which natives might be right for your yard and how to plant and care for them without harmful garden chemicals. Plus, find out where to get native plants in your area.Advanced registration required; call 503/629-6350.

Contact Name: 
Karen Munday
Contact Phone: 
503/629-6350
Contact Email: 
kmunday@thprd.org
Venue: 
Cooper Mountain Nature Park
Cost: 
FREE

Metro Natural Gardening Programs: Gardens of Eatin' Advanced Vegetable Gardening

Saturday, April 27, 2013 - 1:00pm to 2:30pm
Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation District
Address: 
18892 SW Kemmer Road
Beaverton, OR 97007
United States

Ready to take your veggie gardening to the next level? Learn how to plan for year-round harvests with careful crop choices, vertical gardening and techniques to stretch the growing season. Plus, explore the principles of non-toxic weed and pest management to boost your harvests and reduce the amount of time and money needed for a healthy, productive garden. Advanced registration required; call 503/629-6350.

Contact Name: 
Karen Munday
Contact Phone: 
503/629-6350
Contact Email: 
kmunday@thprd.org
Venue: 
Cooper Mountain Nature Park
Cost: 
FREE

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