Baltimore Woods’ 7-acre meadow is blooming with an assortment of native wildflowers that can easily be viewed from the gravel path that runs approximately north-south through the grassy habitat. The Friends and their partners at Portland Parks and the Bureau of Environmental Services have planted many of the native wildflowers. The meadows are being restored for the benefit of ground nesting birds and pollinators. Both are experiencing declining numbers due to a loss of habitat. The Friends ask that walkers stay on the path to allow birds enough undisturbed space for ground-nesting. Walkers can start a stroll on N. Decatur at N. Baltimore, or at N. Decatur at N. Catlin.…

Among the most consistently seen wildlife in Baltimore Woods are birds of prey. The Sharp Shinned hawk is one species you might not be as familiar with. It is a small hawk that prefers woodlands, thickets and edge habitats although it has adapted to urban areas where prey is plentiful. This quintessential woodland predator is a “perch and scan” hunter according to wildlife biologists. They sit quietly on a tree branch and swoop in when a meal comes within striking distance. Its prey are mostly birds of about sparrow size up to robin size, sometimes up to the size of quail. It also eats small numbers of rodents, bats, squirrels,…

On Thursday, Dec. 9, SOLVE and FoBW partnered to host a private team-building work party in the meadow for employees of New Relic, a Portland-based software company. In spite of cold, damp weather, the mostly home-based employees applied themselves enthusiastically to one or more of several different activities and had fun working in community. In fact, recently hired employees had their first opportunity to meet their coworkers due to the current requirement to work from home. The volunteers removed all the remaining prickly lettuce in the upper meadow in record time, while another group cut blackberry vines off native shrubs in the upper woodland. A third group planted 35 meadow…

On December 6, several Friends volunteers welcomed 30 Park Rangers to their new headquarters in St. Johns with three pies from Paiku. Their offices are now at the old City Hall building at 7214 N. Philadelphia Avenue. We are happy to have the rangers so near the Baltimore Woods corridor. Stefanie Brown made a beautiful custom box to deliver the pies, plus forks, plates and napkins And Lisa Manning brought a colorful card she personally designed. They were awesome, Stefanie and Lisa! A few FoBW brochures completed the package. After the delivery one ranger even walked down the hill to thank Betsy and Jim personally for the gift. The rangers…

There are many animals using Baltimore Woods corridor to hunt, feed, nest and raise young. Some are easily visible such as Bald eagles and hawks, but most go unnoticed due to stealth or nocturnal habits. One way to detect an animal’s presence is by observing scat. With that in mind, we challenge our readers to guess or deduce the animal that left the scat in the photo below. It was located in a gravel road, and consists entirely of short, reddish fur. Can you name that scat? For the answer, scroll down! . . . . . . . . . . . Answer: Coyote

Lisa Manning, a writer and north Portland activist involved in a number of volunteer activities, has joined the board of Friends of Baltimore Woods. We are  happy to welcome Lisa!

Portland Parks and Recreation recently negotiated with a landowner to place a conservation easement on a treed Baltimore Woods’ hillside at N. New York. The site includes a small house at the top of the hill at 6816 N. New York and is zoned for multi-family development. The property is flanked on each side by city-owned land. The Friends initiated contact with Parks when the house first went on the market to point out a possible conflict if a developer bought the property. A larger structure could bisect the woods and affect the view from the future trail. To protect both Baltimore Woods and the regional npGreenway Trail, FoBW is…

The largest, oldest and most remarkable oak in the Baltimore Woods corridor came down in a thunderous crash during a gust from an early September windstorm this fall. Strong winds caught the giant’s branches, some as big around as a grown man, and pushed them and the mighty trunk over taking with it a large utility pole, nearby trees and all the electrical power in the nearby condominiums. Neighbors reported what sounded like a bomb going off and a shaking of the ground. The impact has been literally shattering not just in terms of the crash, but also in the minds and hearts of all us “Friends” who work to restore Oregon oak…