Restoration Program: Restoring Balance at Tryon Creek

Friends of Tryon Creek envisions an inclusive community intricately connected to our cherished urban forest. A foundational aspect of this vision is the cultivation of a reciprocal relationship with the environment, with a focus on creating a healthy and sustainable ecosystem for future generations. We are dedicated to serving our diverse community, we want Tryon Creek to be a place where people can establish or rekindle their connection to the land and build upon the amazing restoration efforts that Friends and Oregon State Parks volunteers and staff have been doing for years.

Our Vision: A Thriving and Inclusive Community Connected to a Cherished Urban Forest

Our Goal: Restoring Balance, Health, and Resilience of the Forest

Our overarching goal is for community members to foster a deep connection to the land, emphasizing reciprocity and intentionality in all our endeavors. We aim to implement practices that enhance the overall health and resilience of the urban forest and community. Traditional Western restoration approaches often exclude people from the land, whereas we choose to incorporate Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge, recognizing the inherent connection between people and the land.

Learn more about our latest restoration program efforts in this recent Trillium Times article, Restoration Update, Spring 2025.

Growth and Accomplishments

Building off decades of volunteer-led stewardship efforts that continue to focus on managing introduced plant species, primarily around the interior of the park.
Focuses restoration efforts along Tryon Creek’s riparian area, from Beaver Bridge to Red Fox Bridge. Removing introduced plant species and planting thousands of native shrubs and trees.
Establishing habitat monitoring programs to track plant phenology, freshwater mussels, and macroinvertebrates.
Hosting nearly 100 volunteer public Land Tending days, in addition to business, school, and partners.
Hosting Love the Land events to build community and share information on subjects like Seed Collecting/Swapping, Cultural Fire, and Home Fire Safety.
Completing a Park User Survey and Climate Vulnerability Assessment (see below)
Finalizing a Cultural Restoration Plan that centers Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge.

Planning that Prioritizes Collaboration

As we move forward with our restoration program, we wanted to engage and understand the park and the surrounding community. In spring 2024, with guidance from Dr Kari Norgaard, Professor of Sociology and Environmental Studies at the University of Oregon, we conducted a Climate Vulnerability Assessment Survey.

Thank you for over 300 responses! You can now read the compiled survey results in our Fall/Winter 2024 recent Trillium Times article.

In 2025, we continued working with Dr Norgaard and the community to complete the full Climate Vulnerability Assessment for Tryon Creek State Natural Area.

Chapters include:

Ecocultural History and Context
Climate Trends and Vulnerabilities for Habitats
Past, Present and Future of Fire Activity At Tryon Creek State Natural Area

Here is the current draft Tryon CVA Introduction Chapter. The full document is in the final stages and will be available in 2026.

Implementing Land Practices in Community

On-the-ground activities include but are not limited to, planting, seeding, harvesting, opportunistic plant & ladder fuel removal, monitoring & and maintenance. All efforts will be guided through a cultural-ecological practice, involving youth and families to build ecosystem resilience for future generations.

Community Opportunities: Find out how to join our volunteer Land Tending Days, Seed Collection, Phenology Walks, Monitoring efforts, and more on the Calendar or Volunteer Page.

Educational Programs: Attend our seasonal Love the Land outreach series events, see details our Calendar.