June 04, 2012

Students partner with parks department on forest recovery project

In an effort to keep English ivy at bay and turn 146 acres of land into a fully functioning forest, Lewis & Clark students teamed up with Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) to conduct research on the forest recovery process.

In an effort to keep English ivy at bay and turn 146 acres of land into a fully functioning forest, Lewis & Clark students teamed up with Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) to conduct research on the forest recovery process.

The land, once owned by Riverview Cemetery, was sold to PP&R in August 2011 and is located just north of the Lewis & Clark campus. After purchase, PP&R workers noticed a solid bed of English ivy growing over the native species and conducted a massive treatment effort. Now the students—with help from professors Paulette Bierzychudek and Peter Kennedy—are stepping in to help the City of Portland with research and data collection, in hopes of better understanding what happens when non-native species are removed.

The partnership is expected to be ongoing, as the land presents future research opportunities with wetlands and species including deer, coyotes, and bald eagles.

Learn more about the project in these articles from the Oregonian and the Southwest Community Connection.