Washington County

Every autumn, trees release millions of leaves. We often think of them as the remnants of summer—the colorful evidence that chlorophyll has disappeared and the tree is preparing for winter. But a fallen leaf isn’t really the end of the story. It is the beginning of another one. Once a leaf reaches the ground, it becomes part of one of nature’s most important recycling systems. Its nutrients return to the soil, its carbon becomes food for decomposers, and it can provide shelte

Spanish, American Sign Language and Japanese language students learned about trees in various languages. Then they walked the Clark College campus with Vancouver's Urban Forester and World Language professors while placing painted rocks under the corresponding trees. “What?” asked a student. “There are different names for trees? I thought they were all just called trees.” This student’s question made me realize what an important assignment this was. We discussed facts about

One of the most common complaints from property owners about mature street trees is damage from surface roots. Across Washington County—including communities such as Hillsboro, Beaverton, Sherwood, Tualatin, and Cornelius—local planners, urban foresters, and transportation departments are working to solve this common conflict while preserving the trees that make the region livable. Removing trees to prevent damage has its own costs—and preserving those trees can be a big sav