"Thanks. Please bring us back!"

Cascade Academy student finds a friend

In May the Friends of Tryon Creek welcomed students from Beaverton's Cascade Academy to the park. The students participated in an Environmental Education and Stewardship pilot program that included instruction on Ethnobotany and Forest Ecology. 

Preparing for Tryon Creek trail maintenance

In addition to learning about the environment students also focused on trail maintenance and plant propagation...

Cascade Academy students working hard on the trail

Twelve Cascade Academy students and a few adults potted 450 native trees in less than two hours, an achievement that is testament to their dedication and teamwork.  Carl Axelsen, a Friends volunteer who worked closely with the students, noted the heartfelt request made by a student as they left the park: "Thanks. Please bring us back!" Happily, the Cascade Academy hopes to expand the program when school starts again in the fall. The Friends of Tryon Creek look forward to working with these young people in the future and applaud their past efforts. 

   

To learn more about Cascade Academy please visit: http://www.nwresd.k12.or.us/Schools/CascadeAcademy.html

The Friends attend CSC Nonprofit Fair

The Friends participate in CSC's Nonprofit Fair, June 2012

On Thursday, June 14^th, the Friends of Tryon Creek were invited to participate in Columbia Sportswear Company’s (CSC) Nonprofit Fair.

The Fair was an excellent outreach opportunity for the Friends and other local nonprofits. We were able to introduce our organization to CSC employees and share our mission – to connect people to the natural world and cultivate passion for nature – in a relaxed, friendly environment.

CSC employees unfamiliar to the park wanted to know its location (near Lewis & Clark college, bordering Southwest Portland and Lake Oswego), as well as how we go about connecting people to the natural world (through our many outdoor education, volunteer, and stewardship opportunities for children and adults) and how they can get involved.

Those CSC employees who are familiar with the park shared stories about bringing their families here and experiencing such wonderful nature sightings as a beaver dam, a mother owl feeding her owlets, children chasing butterflies in the meadow and watching leaves float by at the stone bridge… the tales were many and varied but all underscored the importance of protecting our natural spaces and providing as many opportunities as possible for people to connect with nature.

The Friends thank Columbia Sportswear Company for inviting us to connect with their employees and share our volunteer, stewardship and environmental education opportunities with them.