On November 20, a group of about 20 Scouts—boys and girls—and their parents came out to help FoBW volunteers spiff up the Baltimore Hill Path. The path was formed two years ago and allows pedestrians safe passage down a hillside on the edge of Baltimore Woods. We dug the perennially invasive Arum italicum (one heaping tarp load and several 5-gallon buckets full!!) and spread a fresh layer of wood chips the length of the path. The Scouts also joined in planting 100 natives mostly near the path borders. There were many plants associated with shade such as fringecup, salal, spreading rush, dwarf Oregon grape and Willamette Valley Self-Heal. There were…

One day there will be a lovely river front bike and hike trail from the Esplanade in downtown Portland, all along the Willamette River to it’s confluence with the Columbia River at Kelly Point Park. It will be an addition to the extensive Willamette Greenway Trail system already installed in the metro area, and will include sections of oak woodland and savannah habitat restored by the hard work of Friends of Baltimore Woods. People will be able to enjoy quiet and cool excursions along the riparian habitats. They will need places to park and lock their bikes if they want to stop for a picnic, go bird watching, buy a…

On Tuesday August 24, a video of a healthy coyote in the FoBW meadow, was posted on the Nextdoor Cathedral Park website! Coyotes have long been sighted in our North Portland neighborhoods, but it’s rare to see them during daylight hours! If you get a chance to view the video on the Nextdoor platform, you’ll see the coyote is a beautiful healthy individual who seems a bit uncomfortable in the meadow and at the end of the video, it is vocalizing or trying to communicate with family members, most likely. She could be uncomfortable because she’s strayed out of her normal territory, or lost track of companions. Coyotes in the…

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

Please tell Joni Mitchell she can change the lyrics in her song “Big Yellow Taxi,” from “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot!,” to “they planted paradise, dug up a parking lot!” On a warm April morning, 12 days before Earth Day 2021, 20 volunteers planted about 200 showy milkweed starts, 6 young oak trees and about 8 mock orange shrubs, all natives in a reclaimed meadow, north of the St John’s Bridge, near the Willamette River. It was a stunningly beautiful spring day, warm with clouds and blue skies. Osprey were sighted above us carrying long twigs for nest building, and the tall budding cottonwoods filled the…

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!