Access to outdoor experiences is a right that everyone should have. While many find that connections to nature are just out their back door or a simple drive to a familiar trailhead, TKO recognizes that some people experience challenges in accessing nature, for a variety of reasons including personal safety. We also recognize that we are not the first stewards of these lands and trails. At the start of every TKO event, we recognize and give thanks to the Indigenous peoples and their descendants who cared for these special places long before those original stewards were forced to cede their lands to the United States. We acknowledge the privilege we have that allows us easy access and we seek to be a part of the solution to build safe and welcoming trails for all.

Oxbow Regional Park is the flagship of Portland’s Metro Parks & Nature system and a great place for people to begin their outdoor experiences. In 2017, we began building a relationship with Metro staff at Oxbow and offer community members ways to give back. And our work expands to many local, nature-hoods that bridge green spaces to our urban centers – adding value to the quality of life we seek to enjoy in Oregon. TKO volunteers have come together on a variety of projects with Metro Parks & Nature, in the future we are going to be lifting even more with a number of new park developments. Your support builds a community engagement that will see that the value of these places is met with a vested interest in their care.