Last December the Portland Garden Club announced a grant competition with submissions being judged on the degree to which proposals were aligned with the club’s mission: “To stimulate the love of gardening; to aid the protection of the native trees, plants, and birds; to encourage civic beauty; and to improve and protect the quality of the environment through programs and action in the fields of conservation and education.” With the endorsement and support of Portland Parks & Recreation, the Friends of Wilshire Park (FoWP) committee got to work, submitted a proposal, and waited. In late April the good news arrived that Wilshire Park had been awarded $3,000 to further enhance the native flora plantings at either end of the paved north-south path. Since new plants do poorly during the dry summer months, planting is scheduled for the early fall. Stay tuned for an upcoming FoWP-organized community planting party in the park.
The announcement of the grant came just days after an informational talk by Portland Chapter of the Oregon Native Plant Society President Willow Elliot about native plantings in Wilshire Park’s NatureSpace area (just west of the park pavilion). On a drizzly April morning, Ms. Elliot, accompanied by OSU Extension-trained Master Naturalist, STEM educator, and Beaumont-Wilshire resident Lecia Schall, spoke to two dozen interested neighbors about the many benefits of including native flora in home gardens.
And a few days later, Jeana Wise, with her daughter Eleanor and son Desmond, released the painted lady butterflies they had raised from eggs. Friends Carla Hudson and Camila Rodgers, Eliot and Davis Bernstein, along with Elyse Fenton with daughter Mira Shah, witnessed the send-off.
If you haven’t checked out the BWNA blog recently, here are just a few topics we’ve addressed:
- BWNA New Neighbor Welcoming Project
- Volunteer Opportunities at Wilshire Park
- Resources for Neighbors Facing Discrimination or Harassment
Check it out at www.bwnapdx.org/blog, and while you’re there, register your email address so you can keep up to date on neighborhood news, meetings, and activities. Click “Subscribe” at the top of the home page and enter your contact information.