Oregon City Enhancement Day: Volunteers Needed

OREGON CITY, OR — Oregon City will get a little greener the first weekend in April thanks to several volunteers participating in Oregon City Enhancement Day 2018, which will see to the planting of two new Oregon white oak trees and various native shrubs and flowers around McLoughlin Promenade.

From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. April 7, the community will join together to help beautify the city and celebrate the recent $500 grant award from Oregon Community Trees, a Salem-based nonprofit that helps Oregon cities sustain their urban and community forests.

The Oregon Department of Forestry on Monday announced the seven grant recipients, which also include Falls City, Hood River, Lincoln City, Seaside, Sweet Home, and Talent.

Oregon Community Trees dispersed its grant to the seven communities based on their Tree City USA designation, an Arbor Day Foundation title given to cities that meet the foundation's "four core standards of sound urban forestry management."

To qualify for the grant, each city was required to be a Tree City USA for at least one year. Oregon City has held the designation for the past six years, though it has held annual tree-planting events for the past decade.

"Events like these help beautify our city and bring the community together," Oregon City Parks Operations Manager Jonathan Waverly said. "We are so appreciative of volunteers time and efforts and are grateful to have the help making our parks healthy for years to come."

Oregon City takes the health of its parks very seriously, city spokeswoman Kristin Brown told Patch.

Along with the city's regular, volunteer-driven monthly cleanup at McLoughlin Promenade, Friends of the Mountain View Cemetery hosts cleanups a handful of times throughout the year and SOLVE Oregon will host an ivy-pulling event at Waterboard Park March 24.

Around 20 people have already signed up to join in on Enhancement Day, Brown said, adding the city will gladly welcome anyone from the community interested in helping. Additionally, anyone who pre-registers through the city's website will also receive a free t-shirt.

“Hosting the Enhancement Day event which celebrates Earth Day and Arbor Day, provides the opportunity to educate the community on planting practices, species selection and upkeep of plantings," said Community Services Director Phil Lewis. "We recognize that trees are part of a healthy environment, trees beautify our parks and provide habitat for wildlife. It is important to share this information and encourage future generations of nature lovers."

For more information and to pre-register for Oregon City Enhancement Day, visit OrCity.org.

Image via City of Oregon City