Advocacy Articles

Our native Lupine are thriving in Historic Terwilliger Parkway!

April 26^th was the 200^th anniversary of famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted’s birthday.

Various lectures, symposiums, and discussions have been going on in 2022 to celebrate and call attention to the Olmsted family’s prolific and groundbreaking work. His sons, John Charles and Frederick Law Jr., carried on his work and worked in Portland on various projects starting in 1903. Most notable was their parks master plan for the city that recommended a “South Hillside Parkway” that became Terwilliger Parkway. A proclamation issued by Mayor Wheeler and the Portland City Council perhaps sums up best the impact of the Olmsteds:

Recent downed trees throughout the city and Terwilliger Parkway, have caused hazardous conditions to bike lanes, sidewalks, and trails.

On behalf of Friends of Terwilliger, Earthwise Law Center has recently submitted two sets of formal comments to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regarding the proposed upgrades and improvements to Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC):

FOT is concerned that the inadequate Draft Environmental Assessment and the VA’s conclusion of “no significant impacts” to Terwilliger Parkway by their Washington, DC office, will prevent effective mitigation in the final designs and construction and cause real harm to the Parkway and environment.

Look what has appeared uphill from the Lilac Garden in the Parkway!

With sadness, the entire Friends of Terwilliger community is mourning the loss of our board member and friend Susan Egnor.

Friends of Terwilliger (FOT) met with Multnomah County Commissioner Sharon Meieran on Thursday November 11, 2021 to brief her on the status of the Marquam Hill Connector, Southwest Corridor Light Rail Project and concerns that FOT has about these transportation projects and their potential to negatively impact Historic Terwilliger Parkway. We also met with our congressional representatives’ staff virtually.

The Marquam Hill Connector is part of the Southwest Corridor Light Rail Project (SWCLRP) proposed by TriMet to provide a connection from the proposed new MAX station at Gibbs Street to Marquam Hill. Marquam Hill has become a complex area as it is home to Oregon Health & Science University (OSHU), the Veterans Administration of Portland, the Shriners Hospital, residences and supporting businesses, and attracts over 18,000 employees, patients, students, and residents each day from all around the region.

Match your Friends of Terwilliger charitable donation with a donation to the Oregon Cultural Trust and Double your impact while earning a tax credit for 2021!

Fred Meyer Rewards and Year-end Donation on website:

Did you know that you can support Friends of Terwilliger just by shopping at Fred Meyer with your Rewards Card, clicking “Donate Now” on our website, or both?

1. Walking.

2. Running.

3. Cycling.

4. Dog walking.

5. Goats!

Ever wonder what Bioswales are and what they do? Check out this fantastic video made by our partners at the Westside Watershed Resource Center.

We are a registered 501(c)(3) organization and donations are tax-deductible. All donations go directly to support our restoration, advocacy and outreach efforts.

These words were overheard in historical Terwilliger Parkway recently. We often take for granted the places we visit often, and that seem so familiar to us.

On November 26, 2019, Commissioner Nick Fish and PP&R Director Adena Long presented “A Sustainable Future” to the Portland City Council for discussion and guidance. This is the first step to determine funding options for PP&R.

Friends of Terwilliger (FOT) Board Members met with the new Portland Parks and Recreation (PP&R) Director Adena Long and PP&R City Nature Manager, Rachel Felice recently. The goals for the meeting were to provide Director Long with information about FOT and its mission of protecting and advocating for Terwilliger Parkway, to describe the challenges FOT sees for the Parkway today, and to review the partnerships FOT has established with PP&R over the past 30 years.

Thanks go out to all of you hearty volunteers who made the most of our calm fall weather to rid Terwilliger Parkway of those nasty invasive plants.

Thanks to everyone who attended Friends of Terwilliger’s 2019 Harvest Moon Social September 14th. The moon made a spectacular appearance but so did this Barred Owl. Eagle Point offered a wonderful vantage point to view this event.

Be the first in your running club or neighborhood to wear Friends of Terwilliger socks!

In our last newsletter, we announced receiving a Portland Parks Foundation grant to conduct a targeted social media campaign. The object of our campaign: to engage a new, younger, generation of volunteers to help preserve Terwilliger Parkway for the future. Looking to get the word out about Terwilliger Parkway, we hope to target audiences of younger adults.

One Saturday morning in July, Friends of Terwilliger(FOT) hosted a water/Gatorade table to engage with Parkway users. We wanted to know the who, what, and why stories behind people’s choice of Terwilliger Parkway as a place to exercise and enjoy day and night. We counted over 300 people exercising in the 4 hours we were there: half were runners and a third cyclists. Walkers, dogs with owners, strollers, and a skateboard were there too! Of the 300 active exercisers, we were able to engage with 200 asking them 3 questions:

Ask Larry McLaughlin why he volunteers in Terwilliger Parkway, and he’ll say he just likes to feel he’s accomplished something worthwhile.

Say Hello to Friends of Terwilliger’s dedicated president Anton Vetterlein. Anton has contributed hundreds of volunteer hours to benefit Terwilliger Parkway and Portland’s natural landscapes. A graduate of University of Oregon’s architectural school, he has an eye for design and the tenacity needed to keep the city adhering to the Terwilliger Parkway design guidelines.

For over 25 years, board member Susan Egnor and her husband have lived
with and enjoyed the natural beauty of Terwilliger Parkway; just outside their
front and back doors.

All who live near or use Terwilliger Boulevard appreciate its scenic nature and trails. But most streets don’t have an active “friends group” continuously advocating for them. What is this “Parkway” we’re so devoted to? We’ll start with a short definition– imprecise but closely aligned with how the term is commonly used.

Carol Henry, our new Board member and Treasurer, was talked into this volunteer job by former Treasurer, Cathy Turner, while they canvassed neighborhoods for Friends of Terwilliger (FOT) and pulled ivy together. A strong and positive bonding experience!