Working to protect and advocate for trees in Washington County
Sat. January 24,10-noon, Fri. January. 30, 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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January 31, Feb 21, 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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Thursday, February 5th, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Tree Walk: Tualatin Hills Nature Park
You can't beat Tualatin Hills for providing a varied forest and wetland experience, right in the heart of Beaverton. Here, where Cedar Mill Creek pours into Beaverton Creek, we can take note of different adjacent habitats, whether they are dominated by firs or ash or maples. The dense forest canopy may serve to shelter us from weather this time of year, and if we're lucky we'll spot rough-skinned newts looking for love as they migrate across the paths on their way to their breeding ponds. We'll be strolling on about 2 miles of level trails, but there are five miles of trails if you want more of a workout before or after our tree walk.
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Saturday, February 7th, 10:00 a.m. - noon
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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Thursday, February 12th, 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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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 27th, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Tree Walk: Winter Tree Identification at
Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge
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, 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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