• Tree and Native Plant Sale
• Living with Black Bears
• Treekeepers of Washington County programs
• Washington County Master Gardener programs
• Birdathon!
• 10-Minute University

Tree and Native Plant Sale

Friday-Saturday, April 5-6, 9 am-5 pm, Skyline Grange Hall, 11275 NW Skyline Blvd 

We have over 100 native plant species and a good selection of bareroot fruit-bearing, shade, and ornamental trees and shrubs. Informational tables and displays, resources, and handouts too!

You can download a list of native plants and their descriptions at Plant Sales – Skyline Grange #894 (skylinegrange894.org).  We will send you a list of trees/shrubs available as bareroots on Thursday evening, April 4. 

All proceeds go to Skyline Grange’s Capital Improvement Fund. NOTE: restroom only available by stairs.

Living with Black Bears

Wednesday, April 17, 7 pm, Skyline Grange Hall, 11275 NW Skyline Blvd., free

Join us in the fourth presentation in our Education Committee’s “2024 Skyline Living Series” of presentations & workshops. Come listen to Benjamin Cate, ODFW Wildlife Biologist from Sauvie Island, talk about our local black bear neighbors, their lives, and what we can do to reduce the chance of conflict and a bear becoming more habituated to human presence.

Please visit our series webpage for more details.

Treekeepers of Washington County programs

We work to protect and advocate for trees in urban unincorporated Washington County. Don’t miss our upcoming events! All of them are free. Visit the Treekeepers website to learn more.

Tree Walk: A Roam in Rood Bridge Park

Friday, April 12, 11:30 am, Rood Bridge Park, 4000 SE Rood Bridge Rd., Hillsboro, register here, free

Let’s roam around the lovely trails, trees, water, flowers, and birds of Hillsboro’s Rood Bridge Park. This walk will be approximately 2 miles on a mix of paved and dirt or gravel trails. It’s mostly flat but rolling (and even a bit steep) in some places. Becky, your leader, is planning to pack a sandwich and eat it at one of the many picnic tables after the walk—please bring something and join her if you’re so inclined. 

This park has much to love. It’s located at the place where the Tualatin River meets Rock Creek, and it also has a lake, a pond, and a Rhododendron Garden. Because of all these waters, roaming (and maybe some out-and-back) is required, as some areas can be impassable due to flooding. Dress for the weather and wear waterproof boots if you have them! Registration is limited. Sign up to see the location.

Tree Conversation Meetup

Wednesday, April 17, 6:30-8 pm, Cascadia Commons, 4377 SW 94th Ave., register here, free

Get to know your tree-loving neighbors and build community at our next Treekeepers meetup at Cascadia Commons. This month’s agenda will focus on honing planning for future meetings, both for Tree Talk Speakers and for these less formal meetings. We look forward to your ideas and input for ways to help trees.

Washington County Master Gardener programs

Lawn Be Gone

Saturday, April 6, 10 am-noon, PCC Rock Creek, Bldg. 7, Room 105 and WCMGA Education Garden, 17705 NW Springville Rd.

OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers Susan Albright, Lisa Barnhart, and Tamara Newton Baker will lead this class explaining turf removal methods and options for what to plant in its place (e.g., ecolawn, drought tolerant plants, native plants). They will also discuss planning, soil prep, planting tips, and touch on irrigation options. Approved for one hour of MG education credit.

Save the Date for Gardenfest 2024!

Saturday, May 4, 9 am-1 pm, PCC Rock Creek Campus, Hoop House area near Building 4, 17705 NW Springville Rd.

Plant sales, information booths, kids’ activities, demonstrations, book and tool sales, and more! Join us as we take over the large gravel parking area and fill it with everything garden!

For more information on all our programs, please go to the WCMGA website. The Washington County Master Gardener™ Association (WCMGA) sponsors a wide variety of gardening—related demonstrations, lectures, seminars, and workshops in various Washington County Oregon locations. Most of our events are free and open to the public. The WCMGA is a 501c3 non-profit.

Birdathon!

Kickoff April 22-25, Main event April 27-June 2, various locations

Looking for a fun way to help protect birds and their habitat? Here’s your chance to do what you already enjoy out in nature–birding, hiking, biking, paddling, exploring–while helping birds. Join us for Birdathon, our biggest fundraiser of the year! We hope to bring in over $188,000 during Birdathon 2024 and with the help of our Bird Alliance of Oregon community, this goal is well within reach. We have a variety of teams, with options for seasoned birders, new birders, photographers, women, and LGBTQIA+ birders. 

Birdathon is a fundraiser where participants ask for donations from friends and family, then head out into the field to count birds. Donations can be a flat amount or a per-species pledge where more birds found means more money raised. Everyone who registers for Birdathon receives tips and templates to make fundraising easier. Birdathoners are invited to a celebration in June to recognize their collective achievements.

From the coast to the Portland metro area to Malheur and Klamath, Bird Alliance of Oregon uses every dollar raised on the ground here in Oregon to protect native birds, other wildlife, and their habitats through advocacy, environmental education, wildlife rehabilitation, and land stewardship.

How to Participate: Join a Team: See our full list of teams with descriptions. Teams will go out Between April 27 and June 2. Create a Team: Start your own team and invite your family or friends to join you in birding and fundraising. Solo Birdathon: Are you more of a Solitary Sandpiper when it comes to birding? Do a Birdathon on your own! You can register as an individual. Donate: Can’t join Birdathon this year? Support your favorite participant or team with a donation

We are jump-starting Birdathon 2024 with a kickoff week full of fun and informative classes from April 22-25, with a special focus on our logo bird, the Lewis’s Woodpecker. These Zoom classes will cover a variety of bird-related topics. To be eligible to participate, you will need to raise or donate at least $45 by April 20.

10-Minute University

Sign up to get the Clackamas County Master Gardener calendar and info newsletter to find out about all the wonderful gardening courses and other offerings. Many are online and open to everyone. Some classes this month include Raised Bed Gardening: Tips and Tricks, and Ten Proven Ideas for a Bird-Friendly Garden.