20 Years in Wilsonville

FOT started planting at Memorial Park in 2002

The morning sun shined on the 51 volunteers at Memorial Park during our February planting in Wilsonville. It was a special day at a familiar spot, because this planting marked the 20th anniversary of the partnership between Friends of Trees and the City of Wilsonville.

In 2002, the City of Wilsonville and Friends of Trees partnered to create native plant communities in Memorial Park. Since then, volunteers have installed thousands of native plants, shrubs and trees, reestablishing forest areas and protecting riparian zones in Wilsonville’s oldest and largest park.

“What a great day to plant,” says Michelle Yasutake, the Green Space Program Manager at Friends of Trees. “We added over 1,000 plants! It’s an awesome way to celebrate this partnership where it all started.” The newly planted native shrubs, wildflowers, and ferns will contribute to the legacy that began two decades ago.

FOT’s work in Wilsonville has expanded into the city’s neighborhoods, too. In the fall of 2021, Friends of Trees volunteers planted 112 trees during two city-wide tree planting events. On April 23, Wilsonville residents can celebrate Earth Day by volunteering at a Friends of Trees neighborhood planting, or getting their own yard or street tree.