Baltimore Woods’ 7-acre meadow is blooming with an assortment of native wildflowers that can easily be viewed from the gravel path that runs approximately north-south through the grassy habitat. The Friends and their partners at Portland Parks and the Bureau of Environmental Services have planted many of the native wildflowers. The meadows are being restored for the benefit of ground nesting birds and pollinators. Both are experiencing declining numbers due to a loss of habitat. The Friends ask that walkers stay on the path to allow birds enough undisturbed space for ground-nesting. Walkers can start a stroll on N. Decatur at N. Baltimore, or at N. Decatur at N. Catlin.…

The Friends of Baltimore Woods are delighted to announce the recent acquisition of a new parcel nicknamed Acorn Acre near the North Reno Entrance of the Baltimore Woods Natural Area. Purchasing of this lot, formally known as the Erickson Property, has long been on the back burner FOBW “To Do” list, until the spring of 2023 when a realtor “For Sale” sign was posted on North Reno, alerting the board into action. Over the summer, a weekend neighborhood petition drive gathered over 120 signatures in favor of protecting the lot, plus many emails and phone calls to Metro, Portland Parks and Bureau of Environmental Services were made. The most significant…

The longer warmer days of summer are here. The Friends of Baltimore Woods weekly Thursday evening Golden Hour Work Parties have begun. Every Thursday, weather permitting, we will host the hour-long volunteer parties from 7 to 8 pm. It’s a wonderful way to relax at the end of the day, get some fresh air, exercise, and meet new generous-spirited people. Please visit our web calendar for weekly locations, a brief description of the work we will be doing that day, tips for what to wear and who will be leading. In the event of extremely hot weather, the event may be cancelled. Be sure to check the FOBW website calendar.…

Jane Hartline, owner of Sauvie Island Natives, is a dedicated and generous supporter of native plants for landscaping and propagation within the Portland metro area. She is an advocate for use of native plants as a wonderful gardening option.  In the past, she has often donated to the habitat restoration mission of FOBW. So it was welcome news when she again informed us that 25% of all sales on Saturday September 16, 2023 would be donated to the Friends of Baltimore Woods. Jane rounded that total up to $300! A win-win for your garden, native plants provide habitat for native pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies who have co-evolved…

Friends of Baltimore Woods will again be partnering with Sparrowhawk Native Plants for our annual native plant sale in St. Johns on April 26 and 27 this spring.  The sale takes place this year in the St. Johns Church parking lot located at 8044 North Richmond Avenue, a block east of last year’s sale location. Pre-ordering online begins Sunday February 25th and lasts until March 24 or until plant supplies last, additionally you are now able to window-shop the 100 native species for sale on the Sparrowhawk website. Every Spring and Fall, Sparrowhawk Native Plants partners with community organizations around the Metro region, providing eco-minded gardeners the opportunity to order…

This fall the Friends of Baltimore Woods were indeed fortunate when Garrett Kaiser of Scout Troop 71, focused his beam of Eagle Scout volunteer light on the slippery dirt trail along the undeveloped portion of North Alta Avenue, which is a trail that walkers can use to access the postage stamp sized parcel of Baltimore Woods known as the Old Oak Lot. To earn Eagle Scout status, one needs to plan, organize and provide leadership on a beneficial community service project.  To increase the safety for walkers, Garrett chose to mobilize his troop members to build a set of stairs and a hand rail along the steep dirt path. In…

What would happen if the Friends of Baltimore Woods (FOBW) had access to rare and unusual native plants, beyond the familiar favorites Portland Parks can provide? How would we plant them in the Baltimore Woods Lower Meadow, which was once covered in asphalt, and has hot, dry clay soil in summer? And what would be the best way to plant them, so that they aren’t in soil either too rich or too hard-packed for them to succeed? These are questions we hope to answer, thanks to a $3,000 grant from (Gardening in America) Garden Club of America.  When the Garden Club of Portland (PGC) approached Friends of Baltimore Woods with the…

Seeds are like a promise, yet to be kept. They encompass hope, toughness, fragility, survival, and new beginnings. They are like a gift, wrapped in the most homely of gift-wraps, but with the best possible payoff when opened – a continuation of new life in our ecosystem. The Friends of Baltimore Woods (FOBW) group is in the midst of a new restoration project, which includes the growing of native wildflower and grass species from seed to increase botanical diversity in our meadow. We hope our project results in a natural area which more closely resembles the incredible biodiversity of Willamette Valley oak meadowscapes, now largely lost to human development. When we were…

  The Friends of Baltimore Woods are thrilled to co-sponsor the showing of the “Once a Braided River” documentary at St Johns Cinema this month. It will play one night only on Tuesday September 12, at 7pm. A panel discussion follows the 53 minute film. For thousands of years the North reach of the Willamette River was a braided waterway of shallow channels and islands, rich in biodiversity and a home to many indigenous communities. Today, after years of human engineering of this natural riparian habitat, the area is designated an Industrial Sanctuary, and a Superfund Site. Along a six mile stretch of Portland Harbor, hundreds of aging tanks store…

Has the record breaking summer heat made you concerned about climate change? Do you wish you could do something? For one day only, on Saturday September 16, if you mention the Friends of Baltimore Woods at check-out, the folks at Sauvie Island Natives Nursery will generously donate 25% of your plant purchase to our native habitat preservation mission. Native plants are naturally drought tolerant and provide habitat and food sources to insects, bugs and bees, which in turn feed native birds and other wildlife. Your investment will have a double benefit. You’ll add plants to your garden that are adapted to thrive in this climate and you’ll support the continuing…