STILL OPEN – First 100 donors receive an exclusive 25% discount card
CLOSED, DRAWING 11/17 – $100+ donations also get entered to win 1 of 3 boot/gear packages
(PICK ANY BOOTS TO GO ALONG WITH THE GEAR PACKAGES DISPLAYED)
Drawing of the boot/gear packages will be done live at our volunteer celebration held at Base Camp Brewing on Sunday, November 17th 5-8PM. Come join us to support our volunteers and take home one of these prizes! (not a requirement to win)
Sometimes starting right at the edge of your block, trails connect us to the “nature-hoods” of our cities and towns. Our local, county and regional parks are full of accessible beauty and wonder, all of which have significant gaps in protecting and enhancing trails. TKO has been connecting enthusiastic community members with stewardship opportunities very close to home. From Portland to Bend to Tillamook, we continue to make an impact in our urban parks – one trail at a time.
Oxbow Regional Park is a gem within the Metro Parks & Nature system in Portland. Meanwhile, Chehalem Ridge Nature Park is bound to be another crown jewel. As the population of the Portland region expands, more close to home outdoor recreation is critical. We’ve put tools-to-trail at Oxbow over the last few years, and Chehalem Ridge will be another place for us to tend to!
SUCCESS:
OXBOW & CHEHALEM RIDGE
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Feet of Trails Improved
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Stewardship Events
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Volunteer Participants
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In Kind Value of Volunteer Time
LOCAL, URBAN TRAILS
SUCCESS: Oxbow Regional Park
Three years ago we approached Metro Parks & Nature program staff to tackle projects at Oxbow, mainly to demonstrate that we can help bridge gaps in trail maintenance and propel enhancement projects forward when capacity, expertise and resources are spread thin. From running youth crews to hosting family-friendly days, we’ve done a lot for this park.
Chehalem Ridge Nature Park is in its final planning stages – roads, utilities, facilities and trails are all on their way. TKO is taking a part in the early stages of the work. We are calling it Christensen Creek Trail and it is a nature trail being designed by TKO staff and volunteer leaders to be an all-ages, all-abilities experience. Being able to design and build a new trail is a special thing, all the greater when it is within a newly forming park. Metro Parks & Nature has many new parks across the region and we are at the table discussing where to go next!
At Oxbow, we’ve resolved a backlog of maintenance along miles of trails for tread and corridor width, built small drainage crossings through the system to solve water pooling and/or running down trails. TKO helped break ground on the path and play stations for a new nature play area that was constructed in 2019 and improved viewing stations for the annual Salmon Festival while rerouting lost sections of trail that were consumed by the ever-changing path of the Sandy River. Our reputation with Metro staff has allowed us to expand to other parks across the region. While we’ve had great success, there is still more to be done – Oxbow will continue to be a place we put tools-to-trail.
This fall was chaotic and dramatic. Historic winds, fires, civil unrest, and a deadly pandemic will define the fall of 2020 for most. For me, they all set the backdrop for a somewhat confusing, sometimes chaotic, but overall incredibly fulfilling internship with Trailkeepers of Oregon, the US Forest Service, and Northwest Youth Corps. For the months of September, October and November, I worked in the Columbia River Gorge, aiding in ongoing trail restoration efforts. […]
Congratulations on the 2020 season! With challenges seemingly around every corner, it was certainly not an easy road, but we still accomplished some big things. I am so grateful for each and everyone of you who participated this year, either by signing up for a volunteer shift or by just staying in the loop by being on the email list. […]
