Nadaka Nature Park

Nadaka Nature Park, Gresham OR New Picnic Shelter. Click to enlarge

Join the Festivities! When: Sat Apr 04, 2015 10AM-12PM Where: Nadaka Nature Park 17600 NE Glisan Gresham, OR Get Map! Rain or Shine Event

Let's Celebrate!
Join us for the official opening of Gresham's newest natural play area and community garden on the south two acres of Nadaka Nature Park. The Audubon Society of Portland’s Education Birds will be present and teaming up with Slough School to provide environmental education. Nature play expert from ONPLAY will be demonstrating the possibilities the nature play area can provide. Public officials and project partners will be there to say a few words about Nadaka.

The event will feature free information, demonstrations and refreshments.

Event flyer

Nadaka /SOLV Earth Day Clean-up

Earth Day, Every Day When: Sat, Apr 18, 2015 9AM-12PM Where: Nadaka Nature Park 176th & NE Pacific St Gresham OR Get Map!

Event info
Come out and meet your neighbors and make new friends. Join SOLV® and Friends of Nadaka to help improve the park this Earth Day. Activities include: Invasive Plant Removal, Mulching Trails, Trash Removal and possibly work in Community Garden. Be prepared to get a little dirty and to have fun by supporting and volunteering with Friends of Nadaka and Wilkes East Neighborhood Association. Refreshments will be provided for volunteers.

Click here to register yourself, your group or to learn more about this event.

Rain or Shine!
Come dressed for weather and help improve Nadaka Nature Park. Bring working gloves & a water bottle if you have them. Volunteer as long as you can. Drinks and snacks will be provided for volunteers.

10-acre Nature Preserve When: Sat Apr 25, 2015 9AM-11:30AM Where: Nadaka Nature Park 17600 NE Pacific St Gresham OR Get Map!

Get to know Nadaka Nature Park! This 10-acre forest in northwest Gresham was saved from development for many decades because it served as a day camp for the Camp Fire Organization. Today Nadaka is a city park that provides an island of native habitat and a place for the community to access and learn about nature. Learn the park’s story, restoration challenges and successes, how to identify common native plants and spot spring time invaders, and the top 10 scary weeds to watch out for.

This event is free and suitable for all ages. Read more about the City's Natural Resources program.

Like to garden, but no place to grow? Reserve Your Spot Nadaka Nature Park community gardens will be open in time for the 2015 gardening season!

Hurry before they're gone!
The City of Gresham's community garden program is pleased to announce that the new Nadaka Nature Park & Garden will be open in time for the 2015 gardening season! Located at NE 175th & Glisan (Next to St Aidans Church), there will be a Grand Opening Celebration on April 4th. People who live or work within Gresham city limits (even if the mailing address says Portland) may register for a 200 sq ft plot for only $25/ season (limit 1 per household). Six ADA-Accessible raised beds are also available to gardeners with disabilities.

Details are available at: http://greshamoregon.gov/gardens. To register, go online to: https://apm.activecommunities.com/greshamoregon/Home or go in person to Gresham City Hall, 1333 NW Eastman Pky (Get Map!), first floor utilities desk.

By Monica McAllister, Nadaka Nature Park Coordinator

What We Have Been Up To!
The year 2015 is off to a great start at Nadaka Nature Park and Garden. The final stages of the park’s natural play area and community garden are progressing beautifully. As of February, Verde has finished seeding the eco-lawn and planting of hundreds of native plants. In addition, ADA ramps into the play area, wooden benches, and berry trellises around the community garden have been completed. The parking lot of St. Aidan’s has recently received some much need TLC and has been partially paved with gravel to make it more accessible to the nature play area.

A big thanks to Alpha High School students who planted over 400 hundred plants in the rain gardens along NE Pacific Street February 23rd. The projected was funded by Federal CDBG funds and will be a great tool for teaching the community about how rain gardens work to improve the health of our watershed. Alpha High School will also be visiting Nadaka every other Tuesday to do stewardship and educational activities starting March 3rd. If you are in the area come and let them know they are doing a great job.

More below this break including a photo gallery!

Day of Service & Ice Cream Social Green and Clean Event When: Sat Sep 13, 2014 9AM-Noon Where: Locations thoughout Gresham (see below) Ice Cream Social When: : Sat Sep 13, 2014 Noon-2PM Where: : Arts Plaza owntown Gresham

Join in. Lend a Hand
The City is launching a Green and Clean annual service day designed to bring people together, promote community action, and create a tradition that will last for many years to come. The day of service will give volunteers from throughout the City the opportunity to help ensure that Gresham is a healthy, safe, and enjoyable place to live. The service day will consist of a range of clean up and maintenance projects, including trail clean ups and improvements, roadside trash pick up, invasive species removal, and tree plantings.

Planned Projects

• Gresham Fairview Trail
  Trash clean up and general maintenance (weed pulling, raking, etc.) will be the focus of the Fairview Trail site.
• Kelly Creek Wetlands Trail
  Remove the BMX track installed illegally and weed/beautify the trail at the 2nd Avenue connection.
• Eastman and Powell Roadside Cleanup
  The embankment on Eastman south of Powell will be targeted for trash cleanup and general maintenance, as well as the planters along Powell through the Grant Butte wetlands.
• Gradin Sports Park Arboretum
  Volunteers will plant approximately 40-50 trees in the arboretum.
• Stormdrain Marking
  Stormdrain marking in downtown Gresham and Rockwood will help ensure that our watersheds are protected.
• Nadaka Park and the Tsuru Island Japanese Garden
  Existing volunteer organizations at Nadaka and Tsuru Island will be able to take in additional volunteers to assist them on the day of the event.

Nadaka Nature Park meadow, Gresham OR

Nakada Cleanup Event
Its happening Saturday, Sept. 27th. The Fourth Annual Nadaka Community Festival & Cleanup. Nadaka is a beautiful 10 acre forest where we will be removing invasives and litter in the morning from 9:00am to Noon.

Nakada Community Festival
The Nadaka Community Festival will be held after the cleanup from Noon to 3:00pm where volunteers will be treated to hot dogs, music and activities for the family. The Audubon Society of Portland will have their live birds and you will be entertained by Aztec dancers from Ollin Yolliztli as well as NW PanMan Terry Baber on his steel drum.<.p>

See ya at park!

2013 was a very productive year for the Friends of Nadaka team which includes the Audubon Society of Portland (Audubon) and Columbia Slough Watershed Council (CSWC).

By Lee Dayfield, Friends of Nadaka

Audubon released a Cooper’s Hawk and brought their educational birds to the Nadaka Community Festival. Over 300 people attended the Festival last August. This year’s Festival will be held September 27th. You can view the release of the Cooper’s Hawk on YouTube by searching for Nadaka Nature Park.

The Nadaka Nature Park & Garden Project was awarded an Oregon State Parks grant in the amount of $523,480. These funds will be used to cover the large capital improvements such as the restrooms and covered picnic shelter.