trails and greenways

Join us at the beloved Mary S. Young Park to remove ivy at these second Saturday work days. Volunteers have worked continuously for more than 8 years to remove ivy and other non-native vegetation, plant native plants and trees, build trails, etc. You will get a good workout and feel good about contributing to the health of this beautiful forest. Tools are provided. Work gloves and sturdy footwear recommended. Activities include: Invasive Plant Removal.

Register online here: http://solveoregon.org/get-involved/events/mary-s-young-park-work-party-...

Help us maintain our recreational and educational facilities while having fun! This welcoming and relaxed volunteer experience features projects of every kind. We end the day with an activity; previous activities have included planting flower seeds to take home, weaving baskets from English ivy, building bird feeders, and guided hatchery tours. Kids must be age 7 or older to participate. Kids under age 16 must have a parent/guardian with them to volunteer. Kids ages 16-17 must have a parent/guardian sign them in at the beginning of the event.  To learn more and sign up contact Kaley McLachlan at volunteer@columbiasprings.org . 

Getting dirty at the Arboretum has never been easier!

We're inviting all who are able to come help us with some mulching, trail work, trimming, hauling, weeding, etc. 

The work this group will do will help us get our grounds in tip top shape this very important month.... Arbor Month!

If you're interested, you should expect to get super dirty, meet some really fun people, and feel sore the following day from a good morning's work. We have all the tools and gloves, but you should wear clothes you don't mind getting messy and that are appropriate for the weather.... it's Portland, so it's probably a safe bet that it might rain.

Do you love being outdoors? Want to make a difference in a few short hours while learning to plant trees and meet great people? If so, join us at Sandy River Delta Park this Saturday, February 6th!

When: Saturday, Feb 6th, 9am-1pm (breakfast provided)

Where: Sandy River Delta Park (20 min drive from downtown Portland, just off Exit 18 on I-84) (map)

What: Join this work party where Friends of Trees, in partnership with the Sandy River Basin Watershed Council and Friends of the Sandy River Delta, plant native seedlings and trees at the Sandy River Delta!

Please arrive around 8:45am to be registered and assigned to a crew and enjoy some free breakfast snacks and hot chocolate/coffee. The event will start promptly at 9:00am. We provide gloves, tools, and guidance. Please come dressed for the weather, wear sturdy shoes, and get ready to have fun!

Looking to volunteer as a group? RSVPs are kindly requested for groups of more than 5 people - go HERE to do so. RSVPs are not required for individuals or groups of 4 or fewer -- you can simply show up!

Please contact Jenny or Randi at (503) 5nine5-0213 if you have any questions or need more information. We look forward to seeing you out there!

Ma Olsen ran a small grocery store in downtown Linnton for much of the first half of the twentieth century. During the Depression she forgave bills, feeding folks in need. Her store was bulldozed in the early 60s, along with most of the buildings lining St Helens Road in Linnton, to widen the highway from two lanes to four. Not long after this Nora "Ma" Olsen, while crossing the highway, was hit, and killed by a car. A plaque, bench, and a Benson Bubbler were placed where the back of her store had been, and that swath of hill was named Ma Olsen's Garden. Forty-five years after her death, the steep hillside that was her Garden was overgrown with ivy, blackberry, and a tangle of fallen trees. We removed the thick green shroud that covered the garden and planted hundreds of native shrubs and flowers of over fifty species. Most of the five block long, seventy-five foot wide sliver of land, of which the Garden is the southern tip, remained buried under invasives. Why not extend the project north, since Linnton as "hanging garden" was the goal to begin with? So we roll along, the past two winters extending the garden another block, planting as we go. It's gnarly work, with established ivy, blackberry, vinca and laurel on rocky, steep, uneven slopes. Uncovering old stone walls, terraces, mundane and weird trash heaps, and poison oak keeps the work interesting, sometimes too much so. We're incubating plans for an tongue-in-cheek sculpture/Dr. Seuss garden in this section. We should be able to polish off the remaining weeds this winter, but we need an infusion of help and laughter. Activities include: Invasive Plant Removal.

Register online here: http://solveoregon.org/get-involved/events/ma-olsens-garden-extension-fe...