Forest Park Needs Leaders

By Mikala Soroka

The Forest Park Conservancy (FPC) engages over 1,900 volunteers annually to help preserve and protect Forest Park, a beautiful 5,200-acre wildlife (and people) haven within the city of Portland. In areas of the park, invasive weeds are taking over and out-competing native trees and plants, which are, let’s face it, superior at everything (i.e. providing wildlife habitat, controlling erosion, purifying air and water). Before these areas can be replanted with native trees, however, the invasive weeds must be uprooted. To help in this ambitious task, Forest Park Conservancy seeks dedicated volunteers willing to learn new skills and lead.

On Saturday, January 18th, Forest Park Conservancy is hosting a Volunteer Crew Leader Training: Restoration Edition. This free, one-day training will shed light on Forest Park’s natural history and ecology, invasive plant identification and removal, and native plant identification and planting. Trained volunteer crew leaders will be expected to provide leadership support at one or more FPC restoration work parties per year, and will be strongly encouraged to help out at FPC’s biannual Day of Stewardship.

Friends of Trees volunteers helped clear almost an acre of English ivy from 35 mature trees as part of Forest Park Conservancy's Day of Stewardship and Parke Diem. (10.12.13, FoT file)
Friends of Trees volunteers helped clear almost an acre of English ivy from 35 mature trees as part of Forest Park Conservancy's Day of Stewardship and Parke Diem. (10.12.13, FoT file)

Since its inception in 2007, Forest Park Conservancy’s biannual Day of Stewardship has been an opportunity for 150+ volunteers to clear invasive species from Forest Park, and, in areas that have already been cleared, plant native trees. Last October, Friends of Trees hosted its first Day of Stewardship site of many, and led volunteers in the removal of invasive species, the first step toward planting trees in Forest Park.

There’s still time to get involved! Follow the links above to join FPC’s Volunteer Crew Leader Training or sign up to volunteer on Day of Stewardship. If you have any questions about these or additional volunteer opportunities in Forest Park, please contact Forest Park Conservancy’s Stewardship Coordinator Mikala Soroka at [email protected] or call 503.223.5449 x 106.

See you in the forest!

– Mikala Soroka is the Stewardship Coordinator for the Forest Park Conservancy