Working to protect and advocate for trees in Washington County
Friday, February 13th, 2:45-4:00
Restoration: West TV Elementary
We are racing to remove the remaining ground ivy and blackberries at this Cedar Mill site before ground nesting birds put a stop to our work. Email us at the address below for more information or to indicate your interest. Or sign up for our On-Call Ivy Crew and get notifications for all ivy events.
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Sunday, February 15th, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Restoration: BASE High School
Trees near the parking lot at BASE High School (NW 185th and NE Walker Road, Hillsboro) are struggling under a heavy load of English ivy. ​​Help us with the rewarding task of freeing them and make a big difference for trees. Email us at the address below for more information or to indicate your interest. Or sign up for our On-Call Ivy Crew and get notifications for all ivy events.
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Wednesday, February 18th, 6:30 p.m., ZOOM
Webinar: Identifying Trees in Winter
Most people rely on leaves to identify trees, but that is just one clue to recognizing a tree. Each tree species has a unique bark, form, bud, and seed that will help you identify them in the same way that you might distinguish a friend by their voice, body shape or characteristic movements. Join Ran Hammock, Certified Oregon Naturalist, Naturalist Guide and Naturalist Writer, as he demonstrates how to use branching patterns and other clues to identify trees in winter. This webinar will also be followed up with an optional tree walk as Ran guides us in applying these skills at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge on February 27th. Sign up for the walk below.
Friday, February 20th, 3:30-4:30
Restoration: West TV Elementary
We are racing to remove the remaining ground ivy and blackberries at this Cedar Mill site before ground nesting birds put a stop to our work. Email us at the address below for more information or to indicate your interest. Or sign up for our On-Call Ivy Crew and get notifications for all ivy events.
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Saturday, February 21st, 10:00-noon
Restoration: North Johnson Creek Trail
A new trail is being constructed in the area below the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. We are working with a few different organizations that are involved with this project. Our focus will be on the ivy that covers the ground and threatens the trees.
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Friday, February 27th, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Tree Walk: Winter Tree Identification at
Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge
Sorry - this event is full.
Washington County’s Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge contains a variety of habitat types and over 900 total acres of protected land and water, featuring meadows, forests, and a viewing platform overlooking the Tualatin River. Join Ran Hammock, Certified Oregon Naturalist, Naturalist Guide and Naturalist Writer as he demonstrates how to use branching patterns and other clues to identify trees in winter. We should be able to enjoy the osoberries in bloom, and the female flowers evident on the hazelnuts as we walk this ADA approved, somewhat level pea-graveled path extending one mile out and one mile back. Register soon, as group size is limited.
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Thursday, March 5th, 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Tree Walk: Noticing Fractals in Trees
Commonwealth Lake
A fractals walk! In the midst of the Cedar Hills neighborhood in Beaverton, this park surrounds man-made Commonwealth Lake. It offers lots of opportunities to spot fractals in nature, repeated patterns that mirror the structure of the whole: deciduous trees with their bare branches, evergreens, shrubs along the lake, ferns, feathers on waterfowl, ripples on the water, and frequently magnificent clouds with their repeating shapes. With this late day walk, we may even be immersed in a gorgeous sunset reflected in the lake! Commonwealth Lake has a paved, flat trail all around it, about 0.8 mile. We will be making two trips around the lake at a normal walking pace, with stops to examine fractals.
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October - March
Ivy Pulls: Join Our On-Call Ivy Crew
​​English ivy hangs on through winter at a time trees are particularly vulnerable — the invasive vines keep growing while trees are dormant, and the excess weight can increase risks for trees during winter storms. Help us save trees by removing ivy and other invasive plants that threaten them. ​Weather makes it hard to schedule events, so please, sign up and we'll notify you when there is a good weather window so we can schedule an ivy pulling event. And if you know of a location where trees are suffering from ivy, you can notify us on this form.
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Thursday, March 12th, 6:30 p.m., ZOOM
Webinar: Caring for Trees
That Are Homes for Birds
When it starts warming up in the Pacific Northwest, many of us start spending more time in our gardens. We start working in the garden, taming plants, and calling arborists to check on our trees. Around this time, birds and other wildlife are also exploring our local trees and shrubs looking for places to nest. Tree Care for Birds published Best Management Practices designed to help arborists minimize their impacts to nesting birds. Ryan will share his knowledge about trees, birds, how they come together, and what you can do to care for both. Ryan Gilpin is a consulting arborist and owns Nidus Consulting in Portland, Oregon. When not working with trees, Ryan is often looking for birds. Ryan is Committee Chair of Tree Care for Birds, regularly trains arborists in working responsibly around wildlife, and leads tree and bird walks in the Portland area.
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Friday, March 13th, 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Lupine Seed Cleaning
Ross Tewksbury has rescued some bags of native lupine seeds that we can use to replant in restoration spaces. Help us strip the seed pods from the stems to ready the seeds for planting. It’s a simple and soothing task, and will give us a chance to chat while we do some good for the earth! We’ll be meeting at the picnic shelter at Camille Park so we’ll stay dry no matter what the weather. Bundle up and join us — and go home with some lupine seeds of your own to sow.
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Thursday, April 30th, 10:00 a.m. - noon
Tree Walk: Hoyt Arboretum
Join Sue Rosenbaum to experience spring blooms around Hoyt Arboretum. We'll start at the Visitor Center with a little background on the Arboretum and its mission, then walk through the oaks and beeches before arriving at our nationally recognized Magnolia collection. After spending some time among the magnolias, we'll explore the flowering plants of the Rosaceae family and finish with a visit to the viewpoint for a glimpse of Mt St Helens and then return to the visitor center.
The tour will occur rain or shine. Dress for the weather, and wear comfortable shoes for walking on well-graded packed dirt or gravel trails. We'll walk about a mile over the course of 2 hours.
Register now as space is limited.
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