The Friends' First Annual Trillium Festival Gala

Spring trillium graces Tryon Creek State Natural Area

On March 29th the Friends of Tryon Creek will welcome their supporters to the Trillium Festival Gala, an evening fundraiser to benefit the Friends' environmental education and stewardship programs. The gala will take place at Lewis & Clark College and features a great lineup that is sure to engage and inspire.

Brian Doyle, award-winning author and Portland Magazine publisher

The gala kicks off with a talk by special guest Brian Doyle, celebrated author of Mink River, the essay collection Grace Notes, and many other wonderful books. When asked what the title of his talk would be, Mr. Doyle's reply was...

"...notes on wonder and amazement and astonishment and the slather of mud and owls and how kids are the agents of the world to come; with sidelong commentary on how if we are not drafting kids into armies of wonder we are totally punting our responsibilities here, brothers and sisters."

Portland, Oregon Philanthropist John Gray

The Friends will also be presenting the first annual John Gray Award for Environmental Education to an outstanding individual or organization in recognition of their commitment and contribution to environmental advocacy. John Gray was a great supporter of the Friends and, as the Oregonian reported in Mr. Gray's November 2012 obit, much of his "philanthropy was devoted to environmental education programs that aimed to bring young people to the region's forests..." The Friends are honored to present the award in recognition of Mr. Gray's legacy.

The gala will also feature a silent auction with items that include vacation packages; original artwork; merchandise from Columbia Sportswear, Keen, Patagonia, and REI; gift certificates, and more.

To purchase tickets please visit www.tryonfriends.org.

Congratulations to Michael Barton, "Why I Love Tryon Creek State Natural Area" video contest winner

Michael Barton, with son Patrick, accepts award from Friends' Executive Director David Cohen

In August 2012 the Friends of Tryon Creek kicked off their first-ever video contest on the theme, “Why I Love Tryon Creek State Natural Area”. Entries were accepted through October 31^st and the Friends were struck by the fact that each entry, regardless of its content, captured the beauty, tranquility, inspiration and joy that one experiences in the forest at Tryon Creek.

Michael Barton, a regular park visitor who recently welcomed his new daughter into the world, won the contest, and on November 14^th he received congratulations from the Friends' Executive Director David Cohen. Cohen also presented Barton with a prize package valued at $370 featuring items from contest sponsors Columbia Sportswear, REI, Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery, and Voodoo Doughnut, as well as a copy of “Wild in the City: Exploring the Intertwine”.  

The Friends appreciate the efforts of all who submitted entries and wish them luck next year.

                             "Let Me Show You", Michael Barton's winning video contest entry

Community makes National Public Lands Day a smashing success at Tryon Creek

Lewis and Clark students and community members mug for the camera before hitting the trail to pull ivy

Saturday, September 29th, was National Public Lands Day. It is the largest volunteer event of its kind in the country, as thousands of volunteers show their support of public lands by participating in stewardship activities from coast to coast. The Friends of Tryon Creek were pleased to host just such an event at Tryon Creek State Natural Area. Volunteers rolled their sleeves up and got their hands dirty pulling ivy in the park from 9 a.m. to noon.

REI's Gayle Hoybook distributes free tees to volunteers.

REI was a great supporter of the event. In addition to providing stewardship volunteers with awesome free t-shirts, they served snacks and beverages (to keep their strength up. Those ivy pulls are a lot of work!). The Friends' tip our hats to REI and their strong support for the Friends' environmental stewardship and conservation programs.

3rd & 4th grade Girl Scouts lend a hand doing stewardship at Tryon Creek

Volunteers big and small lent a hand at the event, including Girl Scouts from Troop# 45660 who attend Arco Iris Spanish Immersion Charter School in Beaverton. Their troop leader, Regan Schutz, noted that her group "had a lovely time, and our guide was amazing.  The girls were really interested in learning more about why English Ivy is so destructive to our forests, and they absolutely put their best glove forward when we got down to pulling!  It's amazing how empowering it is to actually get down and work--easy to forget what it's like to be 8 and 9 years old.  Working together for something bigger than themselves, I really felt a shift that day in our (relatively new) troop!" Way to go, Girl Scouts!

The National Public Lands Day stewardship effort at Tryon Creek was very successful. "We had a fantastic turnout of volunteers", says Sarah Kreisman, Volunteer Coordinator for the Friends of Tryon Creek. "It is so wonderful to see how much our community values their public lands."

Thanks Volunteers! We couldn't do it without you!