Native plant restoration in Governors Park
SWHRL and neighborhood volunteers participated in a native-plant restoration project at Governors Park this week; over 100 native plants – including Pacific wax myrtle, snowberry, mock orange, ferns and Columbia Hawthorne – were placed in the southern section of the park, with some dozens more to come by the end of the month. This is the second stage of restoration for this 1.6 -acre plot, with tree ivy, laurels, and English holly previously removed in preparation for the rehabilitation.
Removing invasive ivy, holly, laurel and others and replacing them with native plants will reduce the flammability of the forest, increase quality habitat acreage, and provide food and shelter for wildlife.
Further ivy removal and plantings in the southern section will continue at various times in the next few years; meanwhile, tree ivy has also been removed from the 3.8-acre northern portion of the park by SWHRL volunteers, and contractors will begin removing that area’s holly and weed trees as early as Feb. 14th. Portland Parks and Recreation Ecologist Maha Guliani says replanting and the restoration of a wetlands area will proceed in stages next year.
