New trees grow at Hazelwood Hydropark

Although digging holes to plant trees seems like hard work, check out the smiles on these volunteers’ faces as they plant LOTS of trees, in these exclusive photos …

Thanks to the work of many willing hands, the Hazelwood HydroPark – located on NE 117th Avenue between NE Glisan and Halsey Streets – now sports dozens of new trees.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Thanks to the efforts of a group of volunteers who labored most of the day on March 7, the Hazelwood Hydropark will someday enjoy the shade of tall native trees planted around its perimeter.

But that’s not all – this group also planted trees that will, in time, produce delicious orchard fruits too.

Friends of Trees’ Program Director Brighton West helps tireless neighborhood volunteers, along with Arlene Kimura and Linda Robinson, as they tag newly-planted trees.

Calls it a major project
“We’re planting about 44 trees here today at the Hydropark,” commented Brighton West, Friends of Trees’ Program Director. It’s a pretty big project. We have a lot of great volunteer help; and we’ve received some support from Portland Parks & Recreation.”

Pointing to the west and north side of the Community Garden at the Hydropark, West noted that apple, pear, fig, and persimmon trees will provide fruit for the community for years to come.

Cadie Sedies and Shannon Zimmerman volunteering on behalf of the IKEA “green group”. “In addition to making sure our store remains ‘green’, we also enjoy helping our community,” said Sedies

“There are many reasons to plant trees,” West told us. “They will sequester carbon which is becoming more and more of an issue. They hold stormwater to reduce rainstorm runoff. A tree planted in the right place can help cut down on the wind and lower the need for heating in the winter, and you can keep it cooler with shade in the summer. And, trees provide habitat and food for small animals and birds.”

Communities that have more trees also tend to have lower rates of crime as it turns out, West added.

Tom Lewis, Chair of the Centennial Neighborhood Association, helps out during the marathon tree-planting event.

More and more tree plantings are taking place in outer East Portland, noted West. “Come and join in. You’ll meet good people while you improve your neighborhood.”

CLICK HERE to visit the Friends of Trees website to find out how you can participate or get trees planted in YOUR yard!

These are only a few of the fruit trees the volunteers planted around the park’s Community Garden.

Comments are closed.