On September 23rd, we celebrated the 75th anniversary of Forest Park on National Public Lands Day. It was a day of stewardship, community, and celebration. Truly, it was one of the most amazing things I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of in my time at FPC.
Over one hundred volunteers joined our staff in Forest Park to give back by removing ivy. Together we removed ivy from four trails and saved dozens of trees from creeping ground ivy that would smother and kill them. With such a passionate, vibrant community of people who care for Forest Park as we do, the future of this place is looking bright.
On this note, the celebration was also a day for recognizing the generations of Indigenous people who stewarded the land before us. Representatives from multiple local Indigenous communities and organizations joined us to talk about the importance of this land to their peoples and to share some of their knowledge and traditions with us. We are grateful to them for joining us and sharing some of their perspectives, experiences, and knowledge regarding the land.
As Forest Park “officially” turns 75, we also recognize that the work does not stop here, we don’t have time to pat ourselves on the back and relax. Existential threats to the park like climate change, community disenfranchisement, the encroachment of non-native species, and trail erosion are things we are constantly mindful of in our work. In addition to that, we also balance the needs of our community in conducting community outreach, providing free educational events, and supporting local partners who share in our goals. All of this is vital for the long-term health of Forest Park.
As a non-profit with a small staff, we rely heavily on your support to conduct our work. All that we do is made possible thanks to the work of volunteers and the support of our donors. Forest Park is special, and we love the work we do, but you, our community, are what makes all of this work possible, and for that we thank you!
If you want to support our work in any capacity, consider donating to fund our work or volunteering to help us out in the field. With your help, we will continue to steward Forest Park for another 75 years—and many more beyond that.
And thank you to Portland Parks & Recreation, Outdoor Afro, Portland Audubon, PDX People of Color Outdoors, Ride Connection, Vive NW, Wisdom of the Elders, other organizations, and everyone who joined us to celebrate Forest Park as a community with us.