Nature

Sheet Mulching of Community Garden. Rain or Shine!

Nadaka Nature Park, Gresham OR

40 Volunteer needed! When: Sat, Dec 01, 2012 9AM-1PM Where: Nadaka Nature Park 176th & NE Glisan St Gresham OR Get Map!

Event info
We will be mulching the future community garden site on the South side of Nadaka. Be prepared to get a little dirty and to have fun by supporting and volunteering with Friends of Nadaka and Wilkes East Neighborhood Association.

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.

Lee Dayfield just inside the north gate of Nadaka Nature Park. Click to enlarge.

Nadaka Nature Park For years, the plot of land tucked away in Gresham's Wilkes East neighborhood was forgotten. Source: The Oregonian, Nov 14, 2012 by Nancy Anderson

Those who noticed the forested 10 acres must have figured it was off limits. An 8-foot-tall fence topped with barbed wire enclosed the site, save for one small entrance. Few would have guessed this was public land, officially known as Nadaka Nature Park.

But in 2008, the right person with the right heart and a vision stumbled upon the park and set out to make it known and accessible.

Lee Dayfield of Gresham has since led an effort involving extensive community partnerships to give the park new life and purpose.

Columbia Slough, Portland Oregon

Our community is known for its natural beauty and commitment to protecting farms, forests and natural areas. Since 1995, our region’s voters have approved two bond measures to allow Metro to acquire natural areas to protect water quality, wildlife and outdoor recreation opportunities.

Today, Metro manages more than 16,000 acres of land – more than a third of all the public parks and natural areas in our region. By law, Metro is prohibited from using the existing voter-approved bonds for ongoing preservation and maintenance.

Metro wants your input on their recommendation.
This summer, a 15-member independent advisory panel recommended that the Metro Council take the first step in a long-term plan to protect and maintain these areas purchased with the bonds by referring a five-year local option levy to voters.

Take the survey below to learn more about the advisory panel’s recommendation and tell the Metro Council about your priorities.

Krugers Farm Corn Maze. Click to enlarge

Kick-off Fall With Some Great Family Fun -- Explore a Corn Maze! There's no mistaking that harvest-time feeling. The brisk air, the warm drinks and the sight of children climbing over large pumpkins in a field.

There's another tradition worth exploring this year - the corn maze! So grab a jacket and the kids and head for one of these locations. You're sure to find plenty of family fun, food and even some warm apple cider.

Check websites for schedules, details and discount coupons!

• Fazio Farms Corn Maze
• Kruger's Farm Corn Maze
• The Maize at The Pumpkin Patch

Have a Safe & Happy Halloween!    More info below this break.

Bring A Notepad And Join The Fun! When: Sat Sep 8, 2012 10AM-12PM Meet: SE 174th and Jenne Rd Gresham, OR Get Map!

Herbalist Randi Embree enlightens us about the “world of weeds.”

Take a short walk along the Springwater Trail learning the wonders and possibilities of edible weeds. Many weeds are used for agricultural and medicinal purposes. Take this opportunity to learn more at this free educational event. Registration required (link below).

To some plantain, dandelion, chickweed and sow-thistle are a nuisance. To others they are a delicious salad and a seasonal treat!

First In A Series of Science Pub Talks! When: Sat Sep 8, 2012 10AM-12PM Where: 4th Street Brewing Co 77 NE 4th Street Gresham, OR Get Map!

Download flyer here!

Join us for an educational evening and a cold beer.

Scientists will discuss hot watershed topics and the audience can enjoy a cool beverage at special happy hour prices sponsored by the Johnson Creek Watershed Council. RSVP requested. (link below)

Explore Johnson Creek, a little stream that flows from agricultural headwaters through the urban areas of Gresham, Portland, and Milwaukie. Join Johnson Creek Watershed Council, and partners City of Gresham and Multnomah County, to kick off our educational science pub series.

Explore Our Wetlands When: Sun, Sep 16, 2012 1PM-4PM Where: Gresham Meadowlands Preserve (SE Paropa off SE 21st Av) Gresham, OR Get Map!

Event Flier

Join the Wetlands Conservancy, Biodiversity Conservation Coordinator Laura Guderyahn, City of Gresham, and Life Scout and Eagle Scout candidate Ethan Parker, Boy Scouts of America, for an afternoon of exploration and to learn more about urban wetlands, the cool animals and plants that live there and Ethan's Eagle Scout project that will benefit the preserve. Snacks and beverages will be provided.

For more information about this event, please contact Jennifer Wilson at 503-691-1394 or jennifers@wetlandsconservancy.org.

Vaux's Swifts descend into the Chapman School chimney in NW Portland each evening during September

Get Ready for the Swifts Return

Come and see the amazing return of Vaux’s Swifts as they gather at various sites in the Portland area during the month of September on their Fall migration south. Each evening tens of thousands seek a communal roost site in the Portland / Vancouver area (as well as north and south of here. Chapman School in NW Portland being the most well-known).

When: Sunday Jun 3, 2012 7-9PM Where: Linnemann Station Springwater Corridor Trailhead 18200 W Powell Loop Gresham OR Get Map!

You're Invited
Join Portland Audubon and City of Gresham naturalists for a walk along the newest section of the Gresham-Fairview Trail between Division and Powell. This nighttime walk will focus on the American bitterns that breed in the large wetland just off the trail, as well as some owl calling and identification. Dozens of other songbirds and waterfowl are likely to be seen. Meet at Linnemann Station on the Springwater Trail.

No registration required.

More Info
Contact Laura Guderyahn, 503-618-2246 or Laura.Guderyahn@GreshamOregon.gov

Neighborhood Connections is a publication from the City of Gresham
Communications & Community Outreach offering City of Gresham news, Public Safety information, Community Activities & Events, Training & Workshops, Volunteer Opportunities, and more.

Neighborhood Connections is Back
The City is pleased to resume production of Neighborhood Connections. Thank you for your patience in April while staff transitioned management of the e-newsletter to the City's Communications Department.

We’re looking forward to continuing to provide you with useful information and reconnecting with our subscribers and many new readers to come. It’s good to be back.

Inside this Issue

• Gresham Celebrates National Bike Month
• May is Building Safety Month
• Dusk Bird Walk - June 3
• Solar Gresham Workshop - June 5
• Community Information Fair - June 6
• Planning a Community Event this Year?
• Crime Reports on GreshamOregon.gov
• Volunteer With Girl Scouts
• Make Your Voice Heard: Transportation Survey

Keep up with what’s Happening in your City!