Did you know that the Wildwood Trail was designated by the Secretary of the Interior as a National Recreation Trail? The 80+ miles of trails in Forest Park including The Wildwood Trail are a source of pride for many in the Portland Metro region. The Forest Park Conservancy’s Rapid Response Team is one way that we are better able to care for the ever-evolving forest ecosystem these trails wind through.
Launched five years ago in 2014, the Rapid Response Program is a systematic way to report trail conditions in the aftermath of a storm. This program was entirely proposed and developed by a dedicated Forest Park Conservancy volunteer. The Rapid Response Team is made up of trained volunteers who each adopt a hiking route and collectively survey all soft-surface trail in Forest Park throughout the year. As the “eyes and ears” of the Forest Park Conservancy, Rapid Responders help protect Forest Park, reporting to provide valuable information about forest conditions. The information gathered from these trail surveys, namely the location and diameter of downed trees, is used by FPC to pinpoint and remove passage barriers and/or safety hazards on the trails, and can also shape our habitat restoration efforts in Forest Park by identifying and pinpointing the location invasive plants. Rapid Responders are trained to ensure the continued stewardship and health of Forest Park. If you’re interested in this program you can Click Here to sign up for our upcoming Rapid Response Team Training on September 3rd, 2019, or email our Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator.
To donate to support our many programs that work to protect and restore Forest Park please Click Here. Thank you for your support!
