The trees are waking from their winter slumber. Now is a great time to be in community with and amongst them. And, what better way to do that than to become a Neighborhood Tree Steward (NTS)?

NTS participants learn about Portland’s urban forest and how to support its growth and protection through care and advocacy. 

Our 2025 session will consist of seven indoor and outdoor classes on alternating Saturday mornings and Tuesday evenings from May 10 through June 21. We will cover a wide range of tree-related topics like proper pruning practices, shade equity in Portland, and how to prepare for the arrival of the emerald ash borer.  

This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to:

• Learn more about trees
• Meet like-minded tree friends
• Explore tree canopy across the city
• Learn how to promote trees in their communities

Grow new skills and make a difference in your community with the Neighborhood Tree Steward Program. The application opens March 21 and closes April 21. Sign up to be notified when the application opens. 

To celebrate Women’s History Month, we are sharing a previously published interview from 2023 highlighting three of Urban Forestry’s incredible women and their connection with trees.

Julie Fukuda – Supervising Tree Technician
Natasha Lipai – Tree Maintenance Operations Coordinator
Mari Aviles – Tree Procurement Coordinator

Here's a glimpse of what they had to say. 

Spring is nearly here. As the trees put on new leaves and sprout beautiful flowers, they give us hope for growth and new beginnings. Though this time of year the cherry and plum trees get all the attention, they aren’t the only trees whose flowers are worth celebrating.

Meet the tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera.

It is an unlikely source of floral beauty beginning in late spring. It is member of the magnolia family and is not actually related to the tulip at all. The tulip tree is a tall deciduous tree, native to the eastern part of the country. This fast-growing tree can reach heights up to 200 feet tall at a pace of two feet per year. 

Come late spring, around May and June, you can appreciate this tree in all its glory when it flowers. It has greenish-yellow tulip-like flowers with an orangish center. However, not every tree will bloom as it takes the tree 12 to 20 years to produce flowers.

The tulip tree has distinctive bright green leaves with four lobes that some say resemble the face of a cat. It’s sometimes called a tulip poplar because of the way its leaves shimmer in the wind like those of a poplar tree.

If you want to see these beauties in person, there are many mature trees you can visit around the city. For some of the biggest tulip trees, we recommend you check out our Heritage Tree List. There are ten on the list, with the tallest reaching 130 feet.   

Explore the Street Tree Inventory Map to find a tulip tree in your neighborhood and the Heritage Tree Map to find a Heritage Tree near you.

Volunteer with Learning Landscapes

Wednesday, March 26 from 8:30am to 12:30pm;
Humboldt Gardens (5033 N Vancouver Ave)

Love working with kids and taking care of trees? Then volunteering at a Learning Landscapes event is for you!

This year we have planted nearly 200 trees with students at Portland schools. And we could use your help to make our last event a success! We need adult volunteers to lead groups at Humboldt Gardens Apartments. Let's dig in and plant trees! 

Sign up for the event here. 

Tree Summit 2025

Saturday, April 5, from 9:00am to 12:00pm;
St Johns Community Center (8427 N Central St)

Tree Summit is an annual event to gather and learn about Portland's urban forest. This year’s Tree Summit will be a celebration of the many ways to tell the stories about and in support of trees. There are several activities planned for the day like:

• A reading from New York Times best-selling author Amy Stewart from her latest book The Tree Collectors: Tales of Arboreal Obsession
• A presentation from local historians about trees that may have survived the Vanport flood
• A presentation of findings from Urban Forestry on the Street Tree Inventory Project
• A social hour with refreshments and mingling with local community groups

Learn more and sign up here. Space is limited.