Project Articles

A few years ago we came across this picture of a wooden trestle spanning a ravine in Terwilliger Parkway. Sadly, it doesn’t seem to have lasted very long.

Over the summer and fall, we have completed a number of projects within the Walpole Garden, located in Terwilliger Parkway along Hamilton Terrace.

We’re happy to report that Labyrinth Network Northwest (LNN) posted an article featuring the now completed Walpole Garden labyrinth.

If you haven’t checked it out, now’s the time. We have a feeling many folks will be traveling to the site to experience the labyrinth and the spectacular views it offers.

Many THANKS to the Friends of Terwilliger who showed up to improve this labyrinth at the Walpole Garden area of Historic Terwilliger Parkway.

The Frederick Andrews Walpole Garden is a public garden created in the strip of land between SW Terwilliger Boulevard and SW Hamilton Terrace with spectacular, unobstructed views of the Willamette Valley and Mount Hood. The garden is named after Frederick Andrews Walpole, a major US botanical illustrator hired by the US government who settled in Portland and built his home at Eagle Point in 1894.

The project has been developed by the Friends of Terwilliger and Portland Parks & Recreation over the past six years: reflecting our volunteer capacity, funds raised, and exploring what works in the area.

2023 is now in the rear-view mirror and it’s time to congratulate ourselves for our restoration accomplishments.

Were you a part of our native planting event in December 2023 at Eagle Point in the Terwilliger Parkway?

A big round of applause for our wonderful volunteers who helped us rid Historic Terwilliger Parkway of those darn invasive plants like ivy and blackberries. Yeah!!!!

Friends of Terwilliger wants to thank the twenty+ volunteers, photographed here, who came to help us plant natives in the Eagle Point area of Terwilliger Parkway.

We couldn’t have done it without all of our tenacious and dedicated volunteers! THANK YOU!!!

What a beautiful fall day to enjoy this view of Mt Hood from the Walpole Garden/Bancroft St right-of-way.

Here’s a photo for you to remember the fall colors with a bit of sun.

With help from the Hillsdale Troop 1, incoming Lewis & Clark students (seated above), and neighbors, Friends of Terwilliger has established log bench seating areas with views in the Bancroft right of way and the elevated park area to its south

Weren’t we lucky to have a second day of students from Lewis & Clark College volunteering to help us restore another area of Terwilliger Parkway? This time it was in the Walpole Garden area; part of the Bancroft right-of-way FOT has been improving for many years now.

Terwilliger Parkway and all of its friends were thrilled to have 20 Lewis & Clark College students and staff help free the trees of the invasive ivy growing up into the canopy.

Cooper and his Hillsdale Scout Troop 1 spent a full morning completing this path and bench area today.

As you can see from the “before” photo of the area below, these improvements further enhance this ugly street right-of-way into a welcoming garden for humans and nature.

A BIG thank you to our volunteers who showed up to tackle the ivy in George Himes Park, along the Terwilliger Parkway.

Hillsdale-based Scout Troop 1 offered their muscles and tenacity at Friends of Terwilliger’s restoration site in the SW Bancroft right-of-way on EarthDay 2023.

You may have noticed on-going work here:

Friends of Terwilliger have been working with Portland Parks and Recreation (PP&R) for the past five years to restore a narrow strip (~120ft wide) of ~1 acre parkland centered around the Bancroft St right-of-way just below Terwilliger Parkway and the Marquam Hill hospitals.

As we develop the Walpole Garden and its related app-based guides to its Oregon native plants illustrated by 19th century artists such as Frederick Walpole, we hope to extend this effort into the adjacent sunny Hamilton Street Playground area to the south and the heavily forested Eagle Point to the north.

From the adjacent sunny Hamilton Playground to the heavily forested Eagle Point nature paths, these areas provide additional microclimates, while the Hamilton Playground Park area provides an opportunity to provide native plant learning to children and families using the playground.

A long-term project to establish a native plant demonstration garden, based upon Frederick Walpole’s illustrations of Oregon Native Plants, is about to begin in Historic Terwilliger Parkway on either side of the SW Bancroft St right-of-way.

Students and coaches from Central Catholic High School gave a few hours of their time to help us clear some ivy near Duniway Track.

Friends of Terwilliger (FOT) was honored to guide participants of the “Preserving the Historic Road International” (PHRI) Conference on a tour of Terwilliger Parkway during their conference being hosted in Portland in late September.

(photo from 1912 bus tour)

Well, if you thought the harvest moon wouldn’t be visible from Terwilliger Parkway because of our smoky air, you were mistaken!

Friends of Terwilliger spearheaded work with PGE to cut down a number of large “invasive” black locust trees in the Bancroft Right-Of-Way (ROW). These trees were threatening the main power lines coming up Bancroft St. PGE was told to leave them in place on the ground for Urban Forestry to handle.

This year marked the 18th year of No Ivy Day, an annual event put on by Portland Parks and Recreation, to rid our natural areas and parks of invasive ivy. Friends of Terwilliger was a co-sponsor.

60+ volunteer hours were spent clearing and planting 200 native plants in the Bancroft St. right-of-way last month. And that’s only the start!

Have you noticed the flowers blooming in Terwilliger Parkway, between SW Terwilliger Blvd and SW Hamilton Terrace?

1. Walking.

2. Running.

3. Cycling.

4. Dog walking.

5. Goats!

Check out these natural elements seen in Historic Terwilliger Parkway recently.

It’s been a long time coming, but Terwilliger Parkway has finally been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1985 the Portland Park Bureau hired a consultant to prepare nominations to the National Historic Register for several older city parks. But then they never submitted them to the National Park Service for listing. Now FOT has completed the task!

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

Congratulations to our Homestead Harvest Moon Photo Contest 1st Place winner: Paul Fardig.

Check out the beautiful and unique photo here taken from the Kohler Pavilion Tram Platform.

Congratulations to David Gridley 2nd place winner of our Homestead Harvest Moon Photo Contest!

Congratulations to Don Jacobsen, 3rd place winner of our Homestead Harvest Moon Photo contest!

Congratulations to Abby Becker 4th place winner of the Homestead Harvest Moon Photo Contest.

Honorable Mention award goes to Bob Bonner for the first of two photos.

Congratulations again to Bob Bonner for his second honorable mention Homestead Harvest Moon Photo submission taken at Elk Point.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation has largely completed the installation of new LED light fixtures on the light poles along Terwilliger Parkway between Duniway Park and Capitol Hwy. The change is notable!

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.

Students from Lewis & Clark College, as part of their New Student Orientation (NSO) Service Day, helped Friends of Terwilliger “groom” Eagle Point in preparation for the upcoming Harvest Moon Social September 14th. Check out the before and after photos!

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

We just learned that the Portland Parks Foundation has awarded Friends of Terwilliger a grant to fund our new social media campaign. Want to get involved?

Work has been completed on the retaining rock wall leading to Eagle Point; part of Terwilliger Parkway. Here’s a photo of the completed wall. Stay tuned for plans to celebrate here in fall 2019!