Garry Hits the Town to Celebrate Earth & Arbor Days

Each year, Portland’s fine spring weather draws Friends of Trees mascot Garry Oak out into the community.

During a recent foray to the city for Earth Day, Garry visited kids and green businesses on the South Park Blocks, including FOT supporters Veggie Grill and The Heathman Hotel.

He also met with friends from Green Mountain Energy, the Oregon Symphony, and Portland State University. Due to his size and limited coordination, he didn’t venture inside Tiffany & Co., though he was tempted. Below are photos of Garry’s adventures taken by Eric Allen, Brighton West, and members of the David Douglas High School ESL planting team.

During Portland’s Arbor Day Festival at the Portland Farmers Market on April 20, the Portland Urban Forestry Commission designated Garry Oak an honorary Heritage Tree for the day. That was a proud moment.

What made Garry Oak even happier, though, was celebrating with the David Douglas High School English as a Second Language students, who won a 2013 Bill Naito Community Trees Award for helping their new community year after year by planting trees at multiple Friends of Trees plantings.

Congratulations to the awesome David Douglas High School ESL planting team, pictured below in photos taken by ESL teacher Anne Downing, her husband Jeff and son Das, and Lindsay Hook.