Category Archives: Uncategorized

Help your community be selected for a tree inventory

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Walking around your neighborhood, do you see areas available for tree planting, street trees in need of maintenance, and neighbors who are concerned but don’t know where to begin? Urban Forestry is helping Portlanders take action to improve their community’s street trees by conducting tree inventories and creating neighborhood tree plans.

Communities begin by forming tree teams and gathering volunteers to conduct a street tree inventory. Volunteers are guided by Urban Forestry staff, who provide training and tools. Together, information is collected on tree species, size, health, site conditions, and available planting spaces. Data is analyzed and findings are presented to neighborhood stakeholders. Achievable strategies are set by the collective body to improve existing trees, identify opportunities for an expanding tree canopy, and connect the neighborhood with city and non-profit resources. The result is a Neighborhood Tree Plan. The plan identifies the current status and health of neighborhood street trees and provides recommendations for neighborhood action.

How Can I Get an Inventory and Tree Plan in my Neighborhood?
Communities are selected by a competitive process. To apply, submit this application by January 16, 2012.

Expectations
Tree inventories are designed to be fun and educational community events. Requesting communities first work with their neighborhood association to organize a tree team. Tree teams organize three inventory work days, recruit volunteers, and conduct the inventory. Urban Forestry provides organizational and inventory training, supplies, and work day leaders. After the inventory, Urban Forestry will guide tree teams in interpreting data and creating tree plans.

“It was so much fun to participate in such an amazing community project. It was such a pleasure being a part of a project that not only helps to maintain the charming character of the Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood but also lays the foundation for a tree plan to help future neighborhood development.” -Kerry Wooddell, Sellwood-Moreland

Questions
Contact Angie DiSalvo at angie.disalvo@portlandoregon.gov
For more information:
Learn more about the Street Tree Inventory project and view past inventory reports at
www.portlandonline.com/parks/treeinventory

Come out for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

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There will be a second round on the invasive species removal at the King Facility Parking Lot, next January 16th from 10:00-4:00, for MLK day. AmeriCorps seem very interested in helping us in the project. Hopefully they will send some hands the 16th. At the same time the King School PTA will be coordinating a cleanup, weeding, graffiti removal project on the school grounds, playground, and local area.

The Portland Farmers Market is also planning to bring a small crew, a tent and some snacks. Whole Foods has also pledged pastries, snacks and drinks.
So far, it is unlikely that we will have an excavator on this day.

We estimate that now we are around 20 volunteers, but some will come on the 14th and others the 16th. We would love to have 20 more folks helping us. Please join us!

We have a truck to do the trips to Metro on Saturday, but still need more for Monday the 16th.

The land we’re clearing of invasive species, and prepping for later installation of native plant species, borders the King Facility parking lot,

at 4815 NE Wygant at 7th. We are also looking for someone to watch kids so we can provide day care for the volunteers. Let Diego know if you can help.

Diego Gioseffi
808-779-3435

Trace Salmon
King PTA
info@kingpta.org

Rally to Save Saturday Delivery

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From local King letter carrier, Jamie Partridge:

Save Saturday Delivery &
Door-to-Door Mail Delivery
Save Community Post Offices

March & Rally
Downtown Portland
Sunday, Jan. 8th, 2 – 3:30pm

Rally at Pioneer Courthouse Square
March to Portland Main Post Office (NW Hoyt @ Broadway)
*** FAMILY FRIENDLY, BRING CHILDREN ***

Congress is getting ready to vote on HR 2309 & S 1789.  These bills would:

  1. End door-to-door and curbside delivery for 90% of postal patrons
  2. End Saturday delivery
  3. Close thousands of community post offices
  4. Close half the mail processing plants
  5. Eliminate hundreds of thousands of jobs
  6. End overnite delivery of first class mail

TIME TO STAND UP AND SHOW UP!

more info: National Association of Letter Carriers 82, 503-493-5903
www.saveamericaspostalservice.org
www.savethepostoffice.com
www.nalc.org

Jamie Partridge
503-752-5112

Get awesome: join the TeamWorks NE Portland volunteer sampler series!

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Join a TeamWorks team of volunteers for a series of done-in-a-day projects                 led by a Hands On Greater Portland volunteer leader.    

No advance training or experience required, so sign-up today!

TeamWorks offers volunteers the opportunity to make a slightly longer-term commitment to volunteering, delve into a topic or issue-area, and get to know other volunteers in the process.

This unique “sampler” team will focus its attention on the NE Portland region to better understand this part of our city through the eyes of the nonprofits that serve its communities. We’ll sort food for hungry families at the Oregon Food Bank, plant trees with Friends of Trees, promote literacy by mending books at the Children’s Book Bank, help weatherize homes with the Community Engergy project, and engage in a discussion of the history of Northeast Portland over dinner!

Whether you live in Northeast Portland and want to delve into your neighborhood, or live in another area and hope to learn more about the NE quadrant, please join us! It’s a great mix of projects and should be a lot of fun.

What is TeamWorks? TeamWorks teams consist of approximately 10-15 individuals, led by a Hands On trained volunteer leader, who commit to volunteering for every project in the series, so please carefully check the schedule below before signing up! Signing up for the FIRST session will sign you up for the entire TeamWorks. If you know in advance you’d have to miss one of the projects, let us know and you might still be eligible to join the team. Questions can be directed to Melia Tichenor, melia@handsonportland.org or 503.200.3370.

TeamWorks Schedule:

Saturday, January 14th: Stock the Pantry at the Oregon Food Bank for MLK Weekend of Service
9:00am-12:30pm

Saturday, January 21st: Planting with Friends of Trees
9:00am-1:00pm

Wednesday, January 25th: Get Books to Children at the Children’s Book Bank
6:30-8:30pm

Wednesday, February 1st: Northeast Portland History – Dinner and Discussion
6:30-8:00pm

Saturday, February 4th: Weatherize Homes with the Community Energy Project
8:45am-2:00pm

More information, and signing up, can be found here!