What’s going on in the Baltimore Woods Meadows

After an unusually cold and wet May, the Portland area experienced a sudden and rather drastic change to hot and dry conditions. While the sudden heat gave us humans “weather whiplash”, wildflowers in the meadow proceeded to burst into bloom. Friends of Baltimore Woods has been gratified that so many of the native plants, which were planted several seasons ago, are beginning to spread and propagate themselves, with the result that some areas of the meadow were putting on quite a floral display this May! Care has been taken to cultivate many varieties of flowering native plants which bloom throughout the entire growing season, providing a steady supply of food for pollinators, plus shelter, food and habitat for a multitude of bugs, birds and mammals. We’ve added some new varieties of plants this spring, and have plans for more planting projects in the fall.

*A special note for people visiting Baltimore Woods with their loving canine friends: 

Although Portland Parks has posted the Baltimore Woods and Meadows as a “No Dogs” Nature Park, people and their dogs are frequently seen visiting this natural area. While we know that people love their dogs and need natural spaces to walk them, the local wildlife can be compromised by encounters with your pet.  Free-running dogs can scare ground nesting birds, chase local wildlife, trample plants, and generally disrupt the feeding and rearing of young during this busy season. Therefore, we respectfully ask you to keep your dog on a leash at all times when visiting the Baltimore Woods natural area. Even if other people do not abide by this rule, your leashed pet will provide a good example. With your help one less dog will be interrupting daily survival routines of our local wildlife, and we can continue to enjoy wild creature sightings on the landscape.