Restoring Forest Park from the Outside-In
You’ve probably seen trees that are covered in ivy. And, as a follower of the Forest Park Conservancy, you likely know that ivy is bad for Forest Park. What you may not know is that once ivy grows up a vertical surface and gets enough light, it flowers and produces fruits, which are spread by birds to new areas. The weight of the ivy can also topple trees that it is attached to. Ivy knows no boundaries and it’s critical to attack this problem inside and outside of Forest Park.
This fall, our staff have spent many days going door to door in neighborhoods adjacent to Forest Park. Our goal is simple: to obtain permission from property landowners to remove invasive ivy and clematis on their land. It’s really not a hard sell -- how often do people come around offering to restore your property for free?!
We are partnering with West Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District to combat invasive ivy on private lands. We do this because eventually, ivy growing on land outside Forest Park will find its way into the park. This year we will remove ivy and clematis from at least 3,000 trees on property surrounding Forest Park this year. Since initiating this program in 2011 we’ve removed invasive plants from more than 27,000 trees!
FPC's Canopy Weeds Program is a great example of the partnerships we are developing through the Greater Forest Park Conservation Initiative (GFPCI), a 20-year strategy spearheaded by FPC that will restore Forest Park and the 10,000 acres of land surrounding the park.
This year we are expanding the Canopy Weeds Program to include areas past the northern boundary of the park, on more rural properties. This effort will prevent invasive plants which we are just starting to see in north of the park from getting fully established. Preventive maintenance like this will save thousands of dollars and hours in the years ahead.So what can you do? If you are a homeowner adjacent to Forest Park and are interested in our Canopy Weeds Program, email Cody Chambers for more information. If you want to get more involved with FPC, click here to sign up for any one of our restoration volunteer work parties.