volunteer

Friends of Trees is seeking new Neighborhood Trees (NT) crew leaders for the upcoming November-April planting season. Being a crew leader is a great way to meet people, develop valuable leadership skills and, of course, learn how to plant trees the right way. You'll also get to wear a Friends of Trees vest at weekend plantings as well as receive a coveted Tree Team t-shirt and great food (a hallmark of all of our planting events). The NT program plants large (8-12') street and yard trees with homeowners and planting volunteers in eastside Portland neighborhoods, as well as in Vancouver and Beaverton.

Crew leaders are one of our most important volunteer roles as they help teach our volunteers how to plant trees and work together as a team. During our planting season, each crew leader commits to guiding small groups of planters at four Saturday morning plantings. We have over 70 public planting events scheduled this season.Join this fun and energetic team by signing up for a required one-day training. The trainings are popular and space fills quickly, so register soon. This year's trainings are generously sponsored by KBOO Community Radio**Please note that this training is free but pre-registration is required. Please register HERE. Thank you!**

Neighborhood Trees TrainingsSaturday, Nov. 3 (9 a.m.-4 p.m.) - SE Portland Saturday, Nov. 17 (9 a.m.-4 p.m.) - Vancouver, WA Register HERE for one of these trainings.If you have any questions, please visit www.FriendsofTrees.org/Volunteering or call Andy and Jenny at 503.595.0213.

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22

Oxbow Regional Park is rich in tracks at this time of year, when mink, beaver, otter and black bear often leave clear footprints in the sand. Learn to read the ground like a book. Metro naturalist and tracker Dan Daly introduces you to basic track identification and interpretation, and the stealth skills needed to watch wildlife up close. Suitable for adults and children 10 and older. Bring water and a snack and meet at the floodplain parking area. Leave pets at home. Registration and payment of $11 per adult or family required in advance. There is a $5 parking fee per vehicle payable at the park. You can now register and pay online for Metro activities. Go to Metro’s online calendar (www.oregonmetro.gov/calendar), find your event by searching or browsing, and follow the instructions. For questions or to register by phone, call 503-797-1650 option 2.

Beginning mushroom classes 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 13, and 20 Spicy scents of autumn trees, giant golden leaves on maples and the silvery chatter of American dippers in the river. These are the smells, sights and sounds of Oxbow Regional Park in the autumn. Witness the return of wild salmon to one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier rivers – the glacier-fed Sandy – just 45 minutes from downtown Portland.

Celebrate the abundance of fall by exploring the incredible diversity of fungi in Oxbow’s ancient forest. In this beginners mushroom class learn the basics of mushrooms and other fungi and how to go about identifying this complicated group of strange and fascinating life forms. This hands-on introduction will get you started identifying mushrooms and deepen your appreciation of the amazing variety of shapes, colors, textures and smells that make these life forms so intriguing. Suitable for adults and children age 12 and older. Meet at Alder Shelter (group picnic area A) at 1:45 p.m. Free with a $5 parking fee per vehicle and registration is not required. Leave pets at home. For more information, call 503-797-1650 option 2

Do you love working with kids, gardening, learning and spending time outdoors in all kinds of weather? Well, come on out and join our amazing Volunteer Education Team! 

We are gearing up for, yet another, fantastic Fall Season here at Sauvie Island Center (SIC) with hopes that you will be joining us! 

Our Volunteer Educators lead small groups of elementary school students through hands-on, farm-based lessons on pollination, healthy soil, plant parts, the food web and planting and harvesting in the Grow Lunch Garden. We strive to provide quality, experiential learning opportunities for students and are seeking energetic and flexible field trip leaders to help us accomplish this goal.

The full day New Volunteer Educator Training will be held on Friday, September 14th from 8:45 am to 3:00 pm, at Howell Territorial Park on Sauvie Island.Lunch will be provided. (Please let me know of any dietary restrictions you may have).This training is for those who desire to become a Volunteer Educator for the Fall 2012 Season and have never before attended our Volunteer Educator Training. Our physical address is: 13901 NW Howell Park Rd - Portland, OR 97231Here is a cut and paste link to our website for directions: http://www.sauvieislandcenter.org/about/directions/

We will meet at the large, red barn behind the 2-story, white Howell House. Please park in the designated 'Public Parking' area in front of the Howell House and walk back to the barn.RSVP to jennifer@sauvieislandcenter.org by September 11th for the Volunteer Educator Training Day.Our Fall Field Trips will be offered on Tuesdays, some Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays beginning Tuesday, September 18th and run through Thursday, November 15th. Volunteer Educators are asked to be available from 8:45am to 2pm on field trip days. We ask that you be able to commit to at least four (4) Field Trips during the Fall 2012 Season. 

Please email your completed Volunteer application form found on our website (http://www.sauvieislandcenter.org/get-involved/volunteer/) to:

Jennifer James, Education Program Manager - jennifer@sauvieislandcenter.org

 We will also ask you to fill out a Background Check at the Volunteer Educator Training Day. We will need to see a current photo ID in order for the form to be valid. The Background Check is required in order to work with youth. 

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. 

Volunteers make this work possible!!! Thank You!

This event is going to be a fun opportunity for residents to help increase accessibility to the Willamette River. From 9am to 2pm volunteers will be moving rocks onto the bank at Tom McCall Waterfront Park just south of the Hawthorne Bridge.

Since the 1980's rocks have collected onto the shore and made the area unswimmable and difficult to enjoy even walking to the water's edge. All ages are invited as there are different sizes of rocks to move. Drinks and snacks will be provided. Bring your friends, neighbors and families to enjoy the making of this beach!