After six years, Stephen Hatfield, the Forest Park’s Conservancy’s Stewardship Director, has accepted a tremendously exciting professional opportunity with FPC’s partner REI as their new Outdoor Programs & Outreach Market Manager.
In his new role, Stephen will be developing and overseeing REI’s outdoor education, volunteerism, recreation programs, and community events within the Portland region. The FPC has greatly benefited from his wisdom and willingness to work with the organization’s leadership to grow The Conservancy’s stature, accomplishments and successes.
Stephen Hatfield (left) of the Forest Park Conservancy and Chris Enlow (right) of KEEN taking some time to visit during an event at KEEN’s office.
The Backyard Collective provides a great way for CA member companies to volunteer together and to give back to their communities. More than 250 volunteers from CA member companies participated, including KEEN, Columbia Sportswear, Icebreaker, Merrell, Horny Toad, REI, and Egan & Associates.
We split up into teams and headed into the park to work alongside staff and volunteers from the FPC and the City of Portland’s Parks & Recreation Department. The name of the game was trail maintenance and restoration: pulling invasives, hauling rocks, shoveling gravel, digging dirt and re-sculpting the slope. The KEEN team got a special treat! We deconstructed a walking bridge and hauled out the water-logged boards 1 mile back to the trailhead.
Kirsten and Amy (left to right) with crowbars in hand
Susan, Taylor and Marco (left to right) removing nails
The Forest Park Conservancy and Fit Right NW will host the first ever Forest Park Marathon and half marathon in Forest Park’s legendary 80+ mile trail system. The October 1st marathon runs deep through the heart of Forest Park, gaining nearly 2,000 of cumulative elevation over 26.2 miles. The course offers a nice sampling of Portland’s 5,167 acre natural area, including over 19 continuous miles on the Wildwood Trail.
“Thousands of runners train in Forest Park for events elsewhere. We want to educate this large segment of park users about the work of the Forest Park Conservancy, provide them with a unique event that they can experience in their own backyard training grounds, and engage them in our efforts to preserve and maintain the trails and natural habitat of Forest Park,” says Terry Milner, Development Director of the Forest Park Conservancy. “We’re always considering the human impact on the park, so this exclusive event is strictly limited to 100 runners in the full marathon and 250 runners and walkers in the half. The small size and terrific support provided by Fit Right NW and our other sponsors will make for a unique and terrifically rewarding experience for all.”
Local specialty running retailer, Fit Right NW, is co-producing the event and works closely with the Forest Park Conservancy. The event also receives generous support from the All Trails Challenge advisory board, local vendors, member volunteers and BPN Advertising. All finishers will receive a micro-fiber running shirt, a wild plant, reusable grocery bag, aid stations, music, free massage, energy food/non-alcoholic beverages, festive finish at Lower Macleay Park, and a year’s membership with the Forest Park Conservancy.
Participants can register for the Forest Park Marathon or the Half Marathon by making a minimum donation to the Forest Park Conservancy – $250 for the marathon, $100 for the half marathon (increasing to $125 on 7/1/11). Please note that 100% of the proceeds from the Forest Park Marathon (and a Half) benefit the Forest Park Conservancy, the nonprofit organization partnering with Portland Parks & Recreation to protect, preserve and maintain the trails and natural habitat within Forest Park.
Additional details may be found on the website and registration site: forestparkmarathon.org
By Mikala Soroka, Assistant Trails & Restoration Manager for the Forest Park Conservancy
As of this time next week Tuomas Uola, our favorite Finnish field crew member and stewardship coordinator, will no longer be working with Forest Park Conservancy. Tuomas came to FPC from Finland through an environmental exchange program called Experience International. Since March of this year, Tuomas has been working hard maintaining trails, restoring habitat, leading educational hikes, and managing volunteer work parties in Forest Park. Now that Tuomas has finished his internship, he is headed back home to Finland. All who had the privilege of knowing and working with Tuomas will surely miss him here in Portland. Read on for a brief interview with this fun-loving Finn.
1. So, you’re from Finland. What did you do there?
I am from Finland. I’ve lived there for 25 out of my 28 years and I was mostly doing things Finns do, you know, riding reindeers, watching hockey and sitting in a sauna. Before I came to Portland, though, I worked at Syöte National Park as a nature guide. I really loved that job. In a way I felt bad leaving but I just needed to do something else for a change.
2. How did you score a job with Forest Park Conservancy?
I was very lucky, mostly. I applied to a program through Experience International based in Everson, WA. Their job is to help students or recent graduates to get international work and cultural experiences throughout the world. It was a very dark February evening in 2009 when I decided I needed to fly as far away from Finland as possible (I mean that in the most positive way) and to try to work for some greater cause than myself. I was accepted into the program, and my application was sent throughout the US West Coast in the summer of 2009. I had a preference to work in Oregon but I really didn’t know who would find me interesting enough. It took months and months of waiting. I didn’t really know what was going to happen until December 21st. The same day I received my MSc certificate in the mail, I also received an email from EI that Forest Park Conservancy would like to set up an interview. A few weeks later in a small log cabin up north, I spoke to Stephen Hatfield (FPC’s Stewardship Director) via Skype. Then two months and a pile of paperwork later, I was standing on a little muddy trail surrounded by tall and wide conifers, mosses and lichen hanging from different branches, little birds I had never seen or heard before, and tiny flowers already sticking out from the ground. I was mesmerized. I took a deep breath of that morning misty air and thought: “Yeah, I can work here.”
3. What are some of your fondest memories working in Forest Park?
Every volunteer event has been great. It’s incredible for me how dedicated some of our volunteers are. Every week they show up and work for this park they love. I’ve really felt I’ve been part of something greater. Also working with Mikala, Matt and “the Jeff” as well as other FPC and PP&R employees has been nothing but fun. It’s amazing to be around smart dedicated people who work their butts off for the park. Also, every day in Forest Park has been different and hugging some of those old and fat Douglas-firs and redcedars was a dream come true.
KEEN created Forest Park in downtown Portland, Oregon to raise awareness about the current threat of invasive species and the 20-year vision of Forest Park Conservancy to restore Forest Park. A special thanks goes out to the staff and volunteers from the Conservancy who helped us throughout the day!
Originally created by Rebar, San Francisco art and design collective, PARK(ing) Day is an annual, one-day, global event where artists, activists, and citizens independently but simultaneously temporarily transform metered parking spots into PARK(ing) spaces: temporary public parks.
Our site was part of a metropolitan effort for the launch of The Intertwine, an initiative to create the world’s greatest systems of parks, trails, and natural areas in the Portland area.
Another week, another Backyard Collective… this time right in our own backyard: Portland! More than 235 employees from eight Conservation Alliance member companies — Columbia Sportswear; KEEN; Nau; Horny Toad/Lizard Lounge; The North Face; REI; Under Solen Media; and Ben Moon Photography — participated in trail restoration, invasive weed removal, and other projects in Forest Park, Sellwood Park, and along Johnson Creek.
In fact, that made the Portland 2010 Backyard Collective the biggest one yet! Columbia loaded three huge busses with 200 employees!
With over 235 employees showing up, that means we logged over 840 volunteer hours.. you can imagine how much ivy that equals! We also had a lively “environmental fair” that provided several of our grantee conservation organizations the opportunity to share information about their work with everyone that came out.
Super fun event last night with The Element Tour, ClifBar and Kavu! We blocked off the street in front of the KEEN Garage. Got to hang out with lots of great people along with our friends at Wend, Surfrider and the Forest Park Conservancy.
Enjoy this short video montage of the festivities…
Nearly 300 volunteers came out for Forest Park Conservancy’s annual Day of Stewardship to help protect and restore the park’s health. The park is 5,000-plus acres, with more than 70 miles of trails. The Conservancy works with Portland Oregon’s Bureau of Parks & Recreation in year-round efforts to pull aggressive invasive vegetation that chokes native habitat and to keep trails maintained.
KEEN created Forest Park in downtown Portland, Oregon to raise awareness about the current threat of invasive species and the 20-year vision of Forest Park Conservancy to restore Forest Park.
Short video showing how Forest Park was created. . .
Originally created by Rebar, San Francisco art and design collective, PARK(ing) Day is an annual, one-day, global event where artists, activists, and citizens independently but simultaneously temporarily transform metered parking spots into PARK(ing) spaces: temporary public parks.
Metro Portland President David Bragdon takes a walk through the site with Forest Park Conservancy staff and volunteers.
Julio stopped by for a visit! Julio was found as a nestling after the tree containing his nest was cut down. Julio was raised by humans and never learned how to be an owl. By the time he was brought to the Portland Audubon’s Wildlife Care Center in the spring of 2005, he was 5 years old and it was too late to reverse the imprinting that had occurred. Audubon Society of Portland promotes the understanding, enjoyment, and protection of native birds, other wildlife and their habitats.
A group of students from a local elementary school take a "hike" in Forest Park and learn about the Conservancy and its 20-year vision for a healthy Forest Park.
Our site was part of a metropolitan effort for the launch of The Intertwine, an initiative to create the world’s greatest systems of parks, trails, and natural areas in the Portland area.
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