Volunteers Make an Impact at North Deering Park

This past volunteer season, lots of progress was made at North Deering Park thanks to the efforts of dedicated volunteers. Trails were built, invasive species were removed, and bridges were constructed, all helping to make the park more accessible and enjoyable for the community.

North Deering Park, Portland’s newest park, was created in June 2023 when the City of Portland, in partnership with the Trust for Public Land and the Portland Parks Conservancy, acquired 24 acres of formerly private land. The park preserves wildlife habitat, provides recreational opportunities, and improves park access in Portland, raising the percentage of residents living within a 10-minute walk of a park from 95% to 98%. The acquisition addressed a previous gap in equitable access for the North Deering neighborhood, ensuring that all residents have safe and easy access to green space, trails, and recreational facilities.

Volunteering at the park, coordinated by the Portland Parks Conservancy, involved trail construction, and invasive species removal. Volunteers cleared debris with rakes, spread and compacted gravel, and topped the trails with an inch of stone dust to create smooth, durable surfaces. Trails were built about four feet wide and three inches high, with a center crown to allow proper drainage. Volunteers also removed invasive plants such as bittersweet, barberry, and multiflora rose to protect the park’s natural ecosystem.

Over the season, 11 volunteer groups participated, each averaging 13-14 volunteers and contributing 2 hours per session, totaling 297 volunteer hours. 

Portland Youth Corps, a youth program that teaches teens outdoor stewardship through hands-on projects in Portland’s parks, also played a key role by building bridges throughout the park, connecting trail sections and improving accessibility. PYC’s main focus was to improve low lying areas and places where water erosion was impacting trail use. PYC built better drainage systems around the pond, built up the low lying areas throughout the trail systems, and replaced older bridges with the hopes to improve the overall accessibility of the trail. The PYC teams also helped in the continuation of invasive plant removal and connecting the two loop trails together. 

We are incredibly grateful to all the volunteer groups and Portland Youth Corps crews who came out to improve North Deering Park. Their efforts have created trails and spaces that will benefit the community for years to come. The Portland Parks Conservancy remains committed to this park and looks forward to continuing to maintain, improve, and engage the community in this space.

Check out photos from this past volunteer season!