• Work Party: November 13, 2021:

Friends of Gabriel Park volunteers pulled invasive English Ivy and cleared debris.

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• May 22, 2021: FREE Nature Walks!

• Work Party, 11/14/20:

Friends of Gabriel Park volunteers and Portland Parks & Recreation joined forces for a morning of invasive plant removal in the park’s natural area.  Thank-you volunteers and PPR organizer Mary Verilli! mary.verrilli@portlandoregon.gov

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POLLINATOR MEADOW “NATURE PATCH” CONSTRUCTION (as of Nov 2018):

PAST MEETINGS & EVENTS of note (click photos to enlarge):

• WORK PARTY: 11/4/17: Portland Parks & Recreation hosted a volunteer event at Gabriel Park restoring the upper pollinator meadow with leaf mulch, invasive removal and mulching the fence line. A family friendly event and all ages are welcome (children must be supervised by an adult). Instruction, tools, gloves and snacks were provided. Thanks-you volunteers!

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• WORK PARTY, 10/5/17: SW Trails work party in Gabriel Park from 9AM to Noon. Volunteers worked on SW Trail #3 as it exits Gabriel Park heading West to the Presbyterian Church. Trail grading, a short bit of new trail construction, brushing, and trail closure of some demand trails in the area. Guided by the Portland Parks Lands Stewardship folks. Tools, gloves, and materials provided by Portland Parks & Recreation. Thank-you volunteers!

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• WORK PARTY, 6/10/17: Installed fencing along Gabriel Park’s new Pollinator Meadow. A family friendly event. Tools, gloves, water, coffee and snacks were provided by PP&R.

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• MEETING 3/20/17: PARKS BOND: SUPPORT THE GABRIEL PARK PLAYGROUND RENOVATION: During the Parks Bond Town Hall meeting at the MAC, we learned renovation of the playground in Gabriel Park is on the list of proposed projects. However, it’s not a sure thing yet! Please register your support and comments before April 4th using the online comment form!

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• WORK PARTY 2/18/17: Mary Verrilli of Portland Parks & Recreation reports: Thank you for spending your Saturday morning volunteering in Gabriel Park in partnership with FOGP and SOLVE to help restore this natural area for our future pollinator meadow! Today we collectively planted 435 native plants, removed 250 sq. ft. of ivy and mulched about 500 sq. feet along the meadow. Thanks to all your hard work, we got a lot done today. We can’t do this work without your volunteer efforts. I hope to see you next time. Below are some photos from today. To learn more about our stewardship program and to find out about other volunteer opportunities with PPR, visit www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/stewardship

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WORK PARTY 10/22/16: Portland Parks’ “Parke Diem” program held an event at Gabriel Park to spread mulch along the edge of the future Pollinator Meadow! See:  http://www.portlandpf.org/parke-diem-1/gabriel-park

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• WORK PARTY 9/1/16: SW Trails held a Work Party in Gabriel Park guided by Parks Lands Stewardship Soft Surface Trails folks. Volunteers did a trail reroute on SW Trail #3 as it passes through the park and some additional brushing and tread work. It was a fine day to get some exercise and help SW Trails improve the Urban Trail System!

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• FOGP POT LUCK PICNIC: Saturday, June 25, 2016 at 12:00 noon. Location: Community Garden Orchard. Everyone welcome!

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• WORK PARTY: 6/11/16: Neighborhood volunteers worked with Parks staff to extend a new split-rail wood fence along one of the forested nature trails. Everyone had a great time! Admire their work next time you’re on the trail!

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 • 4/23/16: EARTH DAY Work Party: Our wonderful volunteers began the process of spreading mulch along the entire length of the new Pollinator Meadow in south Gabriel Park, between the new wire fence and gravel walkway. To be continued!

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• Sat., 1/30/16 WORK PARTY: Volunteers built constructed brush piles using invasive trees cut from the natural areas. Brush piles create great habitat for wildlife in areas that don’t have a lot of cover. Volunteers also planted native trees and shrubs in areas that have been cleared of ivy in the central forest behind the new sections of volunteer-installed split rail fence.

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• Sat., 10/24/15, No Ivy Day Work Party: PP&R and Friends of Gabriel Park removed ivy in the natural area to help restore our beautiful park. A family friendly event. Tools, gloves, water, coffee/tea and snacks were provided. Site Coordinator: Nathan Schulte. For more information please contact Mary Verrilli at 503-823-9423 or mary.verrilli@portlandoregon.gov

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• Thurs., 10/22/15: Janelle St. Pierre, Staff Ecologist with Portland Parks & Recreation conducted a tour of the Gabriel Park Southern Park Concept Plan project area from 4:30- 5:30 starting at the parking lot next to the Community Garden.

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• Tues., 10/13/15: SW Trails & AARP conducted a guided walk through Gabriel Park and Multnomah Village. Walkers followed routes through the park and village strolling on sidewalks, trails, and roadways. Aprox. 2.4 miles, 1 hour 15 min., 4,800 steps. Hashtag: #wearewalkinghere

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• Sat., 10/10/15: A Parke Diem Project helped get the Gabriel Park Community Garden ready for the winter.  Volunteers weeded, mulched, and prepared common areas and paths for winter.

• Sat., 8/15/15: We met many new Friends of Gabriel Park at our information table at Multnomah Days 2015. FOGP shared a large booth with several other environmental groups. We displayed enlargements of our colorful new park maps, and distributed copies of the revised 2015 “Birds of Gabriel Park and Other Wildlife” checklist! It was great meeting and chatting with our neighbors!

Click here to see new maps of Gabriel Park!

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• Sat., 7/18/15: FOGP Pot Luck Picnic outdoors in Gabriel Park instead of our regular indoor July meeting. The location was the under the shade of the fruit trees in the Community Gardens & Orchard near the Winter Off-Leash Dog Park (see map). Neighbors brought favorite dishes to eat and share, and a wonderful time was had by all. Let’s do it again sometime soon!

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• Sat., 6/13/15: Mary Verrilli of Portland City Nature led a fence-building work party in Gabriel Park. About a dozen smiling volunteers participated. They had fun building an attractive amenity that protects the park’s natural areas. [Click to enlarge photos.]

[“Before”]

[“After”]

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• WORK PARTY: Sat., 4/18/15: Mary Verrilli of Portland City Nature lead a SOLV Earth Day ivy pull and restoration work party. A large group of volunteers helped restore the area of Gabriel Park near the SW Caldew St. cul-de-sac. Photos by Holly Zimmerman & Peter DeCrescenzo.

Volunteers meet in Gabriel Park at the end of SW Caldew St. 4/18/15

Mary Verrilli of Portland City Nature leads a SOLV Earth Day ivy pull and restoration work party in Gabriel Park 4/18/15

Volunteers pull ivy in Gabriel Park 4/18/15

Piles of ivy pulled by the volunteers 4/18/15

Volunteers building a split rail fence at the end of SW Caldew St. 4/18/15

Completed split rail fence at the end of SW Caldew St. 4/18/15

Volunteers help restore an area in Gabriel Park damaged by a “demand trail” near the end of SW Caldew St. 4/18/15

The new split rail fence and restoration area in Gabriel Park near SW Caldew St. 4/18/15

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• MEETING 4/15/15: A key meeting was held for our group’s progress and plans. Special guests: PP&R Natural Resource Planner EMILY ROTH introduced the new Ecologically Sustainable Landscape Initiative, while PP&R Community Gardens Program Coordinator LAURA NIEMI discussed the Community Gardens program. PP&R Ecologist JANELLE ST. PIERRE updated us on park plans and facilitated discussion and Q&A with Emily and Laura about how their programs might tie in with ideas we’ve been discussing for Gabriel Park. [More info]

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Earl Straley (3rd from right) leads park tour. [Click to enlarge]

[Click to enlarge] Mary Verrilli (L) of Portland City Nature West with neighborhood volunteers at the Gabriel Park invasive removal work party 1/24/15.

[Click to enlarge] The work group approaches a patch of invasive English Ivy.

• 3/14/15: PLANTING WORK PARTY: Volunteers planted native plants in the park.

• 1/24/15: WORK PARTY: Volunteers removed invasive plants (photos on this page). Photos of a previous work party here. 

• PHOTOS: “NO IVY DAY” work party in Gabriel Park 10/25/14.

• 10/17/14: “Walk-Through” tour of the park with Janelle St. Pierre (Portland Parks & Rec) and Gary Miniszewski (Friends of Gabriel Park).

• 10/25/14: “NO IVY DAY” work party in Gabriel Park. PHOTOS

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• SW Sunday Parkways event in Gabriel Park, 9/28/14 (click to enlarge photos):

Portland Mayor Charlie Hales visits the Friends of Gabriel Park info booth during SW Sunday Parkways 2014.

View of the Activity Area in Gabriel Park during SW Sunday Parkways 2014.

The FixOurParks.org bike trailer visited the Friends of Gabriel Park booth during SW Sunday Parkways 2014.

Southwest Sunday Parkways 2014 came to Gabriel Park on Sept. 28. A map showing the walking route through the park is on our Maps page. The SW Sunday Parkways Activity Area was located at the south end of the park and featured: Portland Parks dance/fitness classes, live music, disc golf & slack lines, Kaiser Permanente “Healthy Double-Dare Experience”, Whole Foods Market organic apple testing, Clif Kids nutrition game, NW Trail Alliance bike skills track, Climbing Wall, NW Natural kids coloring & giveaways, Renaissance Homes bike decorating, Jewish Federation of Greater Portland face painting, Bike Gallery free basic bike repair, live theater, food carts, exhibitors, and many other activities.

It was great speaking with the Mayor and many neighbors who visited us today. And a big “Thank you!” to the Friends of Gabriel Park volunteers who helped make today a success!