Tending to our trail networks and restoring the native habitat here in the Pacific Northwest is a never-ending seasonal rhythm. Forest Park's needs are unique here in Portland, and your team can help! Below is more detail about our volunteer events, depending on the time of year. **Spring:** We repair storm damage, remove downed trees, and work on special trail projects in areas that need more focused repair than regular maintenance can provide. **Summer:** As plant life reaches for the sun, our staff and volunteers work to brush the whole park, which means trimming back vegetation on the sides of the trail. Not only does this prevent branches from impeding hikers, but the way we brush also serves as a subconscious visual guide for hikers to walk where we want them to for the long-term health of the trail. As trails dry out, the roads and trails of Forest Park dry out and compact, making it a perfect time to haul construction materials farther into the park with trucks and power wheelbarrows without tearing up the trail. **Fall:** Early fall is a great time for re-benching trails since the soil is moist but not muddy. We use this time to correct outslope on trails and finish up special projects before Winter. In November and December, we host as many volunteers as possible to help us rake leaves from all 47 miles of soft-surface trails before they get wet and muddy. Raking trails may seem like an unusual practice, but trust us! We have experimented, and the soil composition, rainfall, and unusually high use of our trails make raking an essential tool to prevent costlier and time-consuming repairs later on. **Winter:** The trails are muddy, the winds and rains are blowing in, and trees tend to fall across the trail all winter long. We use this time to clear drains and culverts, correct other drainage issues, and help PP&R clear downed trees. Winter is also when we dive into planning the project and volunteer training calendar for the rest of the year.
Forest Park Conservancy works closely with Portland Parks & Recreation to maintain and improve 47 miles of soft surface trails in Forest Park for the use and enjoyment of all visitors. Our organization also leads restoration efforts to protect and restore the biodiversity of our native ecology. Forest Park is unique in that it is connected to a vast forested ecosystem yet is located entirely within a major metropolitan area. Forest Park sequesters carbon and provides cool, clean water important to help support healthy fish and other wildlife populations in the Lower Willamette River watershed. This location is what makes Forest Park such an important component of our region's ecological well-being, but it also exposes the park to environmental pressures that come from dense human population. Habitat restoration in Forest Park and the surrounding area focuses on re-establishing native plant communities where invasive plants have taken hold. Common landscaping plants such as English Ivy and invasive weedy trees like English Holly have found their way into the forest by way of birds, pets and people. These unwelcome invaders can dominate areas of the forest, supplanting the native flora that supports wildlife and disrupting the fragile web of biodiversity the area's fish and other wildlife rely upon. Trail maintenance and restoration projects happen year-round. We rely heavily on our vibrant community of volunteers to help us lead trail work events, report hazards after storms, collect data about trail use, educate the public, plant native species, and so much more.
Guided by the Greater Forest Park Conservation Initiative, the Forest Park Conservancy maintains trails, restores native habitat, and inspires community appreciation and future stewardship for generations to come.
Forest Park Conservancy website
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