POSTED MARCH 22, 2017
(Portland, OR) –
Portland Parks & Recreation Urban Forestry is proud to present Portland’s annual Arbor Day Festival on Saturday, April 22, 2017, from 10am-3pm at Mt. Scott Park in southeast Portland.
Arbor Day 2016 featured family-friendly activities such as face painting, pictured here.
- What: Portland’s Arbor Day Festival 2017
- When: Saturday April 22, 2017 (Earth Day), 10am-3pm
- Where:Mt. Scott Park, at SE 72nd Ave between Harold St and Knight St (accessible via the #10, #14 and #72 TriMet buses as well as car, bike or by foot)
Check our website for event updates at portlandoregon.gov/parks/arbor.
“Trees are an essential component of Portland’s livability,” says Portland Parks Commissioner Amanda Fritz. “They help enhance the environment, provide shade and wildlife habitat, filter stormwater runoff, and improve air quality. Arbor Day 2017 is a chance to come together and celebrate the special contributions that trees make to our quality of life.”
Free rides in the Urban Forestry bucket truck (pictured above) are part of Arbor Day 2017.
Arbor Day 2017 is a free, multicultural festival for all ages, Enjoy food from local vendors and participate in activities for the whole family underneath towering Douglas fir trees. Commissioner Amanda Fritz and PP&R Director Mike Abbaté will welcome guests with brief remarks. Enjoy musical performances all afternoon! Fun, food and festivity runs from 10am-3pm including:
- Bucket truck rides (a free, birds-eye view of Portland from above the tree tops, see photos)
- Tamales from Tierra del Sol
- Asian cuisine from Sisters Fusion
- The Latin sounds of Trio Matices
- Eclectic melodies from international recording artist Darka Dusty and her partner, Miri Stebivka
- Vocal stylings of acapella group B-Side Book Club
- Learn about the history of Portland's urban forest
- An ecological scavenger hunt
- Botanical printmaking
- Face painting
- A tree climbing demonstration
- Tree seedling giveaways, and
- The Bill Naito Community Trees Awards, presented to one individual and one group exemplifying tree-mendous achievements!
“The City of Portland will also receive the designation as a ‘Tree City USA’ for the 40th consecutive year,” notes Portland Parks & Recreation Director Mike Abbaté. “Arbor Day – held, appropriately, on Earth Day - is a chance to celebrate our history of caring for trees and the environment. And it will be a day of family fun for all!”
For more information, please contact nik.desai@portlandoregon.gov
Portland Parks & Recreation UrbanForestry
The mission of PP&R’s Urban Forestry division is to manage and care for Portland's forest infrastructure in the City, for current and future generations. Our urban forest consists of 220,000 street trees, 1.2 million park trees, and innumerable private property trees. Urban Forestry is involved in managing or regulating all of these trees to differing degrees- creating and implementing the City's Urban Forest Management Plan, fostering community tree awareness and stewardship, developing tree policies and programs, monitoring and assessing the urban forest, issuing permits for planting, pruning, and removal of public and some private trees, and responding to tree emergencies.
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