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Tree Bark
News from Urban Forestry — All Trees, No Pulp • October 10, 2025
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 It’s time for Arbor Day! Catch us at Sacajawea Head Start (4800 NE 74th Ave, Portland, OR 97218) in the Cully Neighborhood, with lots of activities for kids and adults to play, learn, and care for trees. See what we have planned for the day and which partners will be joining us.
Don’t forget to bring your nature-themed books for the free community book exchange.
Find parking tips for the big event on our webpage.
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Why is Arbor Day in Cully?
 Have you ever wondered what goes into to choosing the location for Arbor Day? Let’s pull back the curtain to show you the strategy behind this decision.
Why Cully?
In 2019, the Cully Neighborhood had a tree canopy average of around 20 percent. That’s lower than the average for East Portland of 21 percent. It’s far lower than the west side estimate of 56 percent. This makes Cully a prime place to work with community members to grow the neighborhood's urban forest.
Why at a school?
The majority of planting space in the city is found on private property. Schools are an especially great focus for tree planting efforts since they often have large yards with few trees.
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Meet the Yard Tree Giveaway Registration Ambassadors
In Urban Forestry’s effort to give away 4,000 trees through the Yard Tree Giveaway program, we partnered with community organizations to help us reach a more diverse audience and ensure trees were going to the parts of Portland that need them most, our Priority Service Areas. These organizations are known as Registration Ambassadors.
Registration Ambassadors helped to spread the word about the Yard Tree Giveaway program throughout the summer. At the end of August, they also worked with Urban Forestry to host special tree selection events for historically underserved communities.
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Fall Photo Contest
 The leaves are turning here in Portland. Now is the perfect time to go outside, appreciate their beautiful colors, and take pictures. Here at Urban Forestry, we love a good fall photo, so we are bringing back the Fall Photo Contest. Submit your best fall pictures of the city’s trees by December 1. If chosen as a winner, you can get a free Urban Forestry t-shirt. Submissions can be sent to UFVolunteers@PortlandOregon.gov or you can tag on us social media @PortlandParks on Instagram and Facebook.
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Upcoming Events
 Volunteer at Arbor Day
Saturday, October 18, various shifts between 9am and 2pm
Sacajawea Head Start (4800 NE 74th Ave, Portland, OR 97218)
Arbor Day is almost here, and we need your help to make it great. Volunteers are needed to support activity tables and general event management efforts. There are many opportunities to join the event based on your interests. Volunteers will be provided with refreshments and Urban Forestry swag as a thank you for their support. See you there!
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 Yard Tree Giveaway
Saturdays in October and November, 8am to 12pm
Various locations in Portland
Two Yard Tree Giveaways down, four more to go! Join Urban Forestry at our Yard Tree Giveaways this fall. At each of these events, we are giving away 500+ trees for Portlanders to plant in their yards. We need volunteers to help us fill mulch buckets, load trees into cars, and uncover root flares on these young trees. No experience necessary.
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 Find Your Flare Events
Wednesday, October 22, 2:30 to 6:00pm
Thursday, October 30, 2:30 to 6:00pm
Next to the Mt Tabor Community Garden near (SE Lincoln & SE 61st Ave, Portland, OR 97215)
After a successful Find Your Flare in September, we decided to host two more events this month!
One of the best ways to ensure a healthy, long-lived tree is to uncover the root flare before planting. Help us pull back soil on hundreds of trees before we give them away this fall. We'll show you how to properly prep the tree by locating the root flare and doing any necessary root pruning.
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 Crew Leader Training with Friends of Trees
Saturday, November 1, 8:45am to 2pm in Beaverton
Saturday, November 8, 8:45am to 2pm in North Portland
Learn more about tree identification, planting technique, environmental justice, how to train other people to plant trees, and help address climate change with Friends of Trees! This free training will teach you everything you need to know. The training includes an online and in-person session. Both are required to become a Planting Crew Leader. The online session takes most people around an hour and can be completed from the comfort of your own home. The in-person session date depends on which training you register for and will include getting hands-on planting experience (and lunch plus a "Tree Team" t-shirt!). After you complete the two-part training, we count on you to attend four planting events on Saturday mornings, October through April. Each event is about four hours.
Space is limited. Sign up today!
 Heritage Tree Walk
Saturday, November 8, 10am to 12pm
Arbor Lodge Park (N Delaware Ave and N Bryant St., Portland, OR 97217)
Explore the natural beauty and history of our community on a Heritage Tree Tour through the Arbor Lodge neighborhood on Saturday, November 8 from 10am to 12pm. This guided outdoor walking tour will showcase three magnificent Oregon native Heritage Trees, including a stunning bigleaf maple, an Oregon myrtle, and a towering ponderosa pine. Learn about the botanical characteristics, cultural significance, and unique stories behind these living landmarks as we stroll through the neighborhood.
Space is limited, so register today!
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Other News
Last Steps to Updating the Portland Urban Forest Plan
The Portland Urban Forest Plan is the City’s new vision and guide for preserving, expanding, and caring for the urban forest. After more than a year of community engagement, research, and analysis, the plan is heading to City Council for adoption. The plan is expected to be considered by City Council on October 15. You can show your support for our tree canopy and the Portland Urban Forest Plan by submitting written or verbal testimony. City Council meeting agendas can change. Check the Council agenda for updates to this agenda item and details about submitting testimony.
You also can learn more about the plan and have any questions answered at the Portland Urban Forest Plan educational booth at Arbor Day.
Honoring Biologist George Meléndez Wright for Hispanic Heritage Month
This second half of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are recognizing another important figure of National Park Service (NPS) history, George Meléndez Wright. In 1927, he was the first Hispanic person to occupy a professional role in the National Park Service. His legacy includes establishing the first wildlife biology plan for NPS, which included recommendations for management that were well ahead of their time. One example is the introduction of “the use of bear-proof lockers to reduce human-bear conflict”. He also conducted the first scientific faunal survey for NPS, called Fauna No.1.
East Portland Green Infrastructure & Shade Equity Social
Join Thrive East PDX and 350PDX, Thursday, October 23, at their Shade Equity Social. This event will take place at the Center for Empowered Y.O.U.T.H. (16126 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97233) from 6 to 8pm. Discussion topics include heat cooling actions in the Portland Urban Forest Plan, new investments by Urban Forestry in District One, and finding new spaces for trees.
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