Photos by Ruandy Albisurez
On Saturday, March 1, 2024, over 30 people came together to improve the ecosystem at Gateway Green!
NWTA joined with Portland Parks & Recreation, Warpaint, and Friends of Gateway Green to plant 625 native plants on the north end of the park. A little snow and rain didn’t stop this family-friendly event from taking place, and the team of volunteers had all of the plants in the ground so quickly that we were even able to work on some ivy pulling for the last hour.
Native plants such as sword fern, osoberry, thimbleberry, cascara, and snowberry will all provide a wonderful understory along the trails for hikers and bikers to enjoy. These plants will also provide great wildlife habitat, with berries especially popular for birds. Gateway Green is home to many tall native firs and cottonwoods, and the new native understory growth will continue to improve the habitat and water quality in this unique park space.
NWTA was pleased to join forces with these community partners as part of our Trail Sustainability Institute (TSI) program. TSI was developed to promote the coexistence of conservation and recreation.
TSI fosters education, conservation, and a culture of land stewardship in the mountain bike/off-road cycling community. With 35 years of sustainable trail building and maintenance experience, Northwest Trail Alliance (NWTA) created TSI as a way to grow the skills and knowledge base of our 5,000+ members.
The current and future areas where multi-use trails exist are also home to plants and animals that make up the rich ecological diversity of the Pacific Northwest. It is our responsibility to build and maintain our trails to give riders and other trail users a meaningful way to experience these spaces and natural areas. It is also our responsibility to build and maintain trails in a way that stewards the land and ecosystem itself so these spaces carry on for generations.
Thank you to all who came out and volunteered!
