Volunteer Spotlight: Starr Hogeboom

When asked how long she has been volunteering with Friends of Trees, Starr Hogeboom looks at me inquisitively and says she’s  not sure, “Let’s just say that when I started as a Neighborhood Coordinator, we had to go door to door with black and white pictures of trees with different heights and shapes, and ask neighbors to give us their first and second choices. We then had to revisit all of those neighbors to collect their checks for payment.”

Starr’s okay with the fact that Friends of Trees ordering process is now done online.

Along with her great enthusiasm and unparalleled dedication in the role as Cully Neighborhood Coordinator, Starr has been a great mentor to her fellow Neighborhood Coordinators and FoT staff members. Starr is such a great advocate for trees, we wanted everyone to get to know one of our favorite volunteers a little better. Please enjoy.

What is your earliest tree memory?

I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and we lived near lots of farm land and orchard land. As kids, we were always climbing trees. We made tree houses, we made rope swings out over the river, we were always in the trees. The American Elms and the Boxelders were the really cool trees and the ones I have the fondest memories of.

Eventually, I wanted to see the rest of the world and decided to go as far west as I could without falling into the ocean! I moved to Portland in the early 70’s and the new tree I fell in love with was the Douglas-Fir.

When you’re not doing “tree stuff” what do you enjoy doing?

I love hiking; my favorite hiking is in the Wallowas and we have plans to hike along the Snake River Canyon this spring. I enjoy sewing and quilting and am teaching my grand-kids how to sew. Starr an excellent seamstress – as
evidenced by the NC’s new-born babies who sport her handiwork– and yes the hats had trees on them!

I’ve enjoyed working one day a week with Cistus Nursery and learning all about the names of plants that I didn’t know before. I’ve been especially interested in propagation and Cistus is a great place to learn about it.

What do you like most about your neighborhood?

Cully is not really platted on a grid; it’s very irregular. There are lots of dead ends, empty lots, alleys, and secret paths. There are lots of large lots which many of us use for urban farming. Bees, chickens, etc are very common. Similar to the “Alberta Arts District” and “the Pearl”, I look at Cully as the “urban farming neighborhood” of Portland. Portland needs that type of thing.

What is your favorite tree in your yard?

We have a huge Blue Atlas Cedar. It’s definitely my favorite….because it’s a very climbable tree.

Why do you like volunteering with Friends of Trees?

The  reason I like volunteering for FOT is that you guys are so well organized and supportive, and it is rewarding to see the trees we plant every year get bigger and more numerous. Your process of involving the homeowner in planting their trees with their neighbors seems almost like a ceremony, and I think it makes people more appreciative of trees in general.