Overlook Park: Restoration
The Nature Patch program was started five years ago by Portland Parks and Recreation to provide natural experiences for people, habitat, and wildlife in urban areas. Nature patches are ecological landscapes designed in existing parks to help promote native pollinators, education for community, and opportunities for exploration.
The Overlook nature patch project was started and designed in Fall 2021. This 11.3-acre site is located in Portland’s historic Overlook park, with sweeping views of the Willamette river and the Portland skyline. After last summer’s record breaking 115 degree heat wave, we decided to take a climate forward approach for this nature patch. We designed this park using drought and heat resistant plants from the high desert habitat of Bend, Oregon. We hope that this design is resilient to future climate events and can be self-sustainable for future years. This site is much different than A park nature patch because it has less canopy cover, more microclimate diversity, and is located in a denser urban area. This site features various microclimates that include forest understory, wildflower meadows, and high-desert landscapes.
This nature patch underwent many stages and was pretty much a blank slate for us; however, it had many incense cedar trees growing on site that fit our climate resilient concept. First, we removed invasive plants from the site and built a split rail fence around the patch. We graded a meandering trail that connects the top to bottom of the patch to showcase different parts of the trail as you walk. We excavated trenches and built an irrigation system that connects the top and bottom of the nature patch. We brought in gravel and stabilized the trail. We brought in nurse logs and boulders for nature explorations and to fit the ecological design. Then we brought in compost and bark mulch to regenerate the top soil that was lost during excavation. Lastly, we worked with volunteers and horticulturists to plant over 5000+ native plants, bulbs, and wildflower seeds. In just 4 months of hard work with collaboration from irrigation, horticulture, city nature, and volunteers, we were able to complete this nature patch.
Our goal was to create an accessible, ecological space that allows the community to interact with one another, learn about native plants and ecology, and connect people with the outdoors. Overtime, this area will require minimal maintenance inputs and will be self-sustainable. We hope that local pollinators return to the area, soil health improves, and future generations can enjoy this natural space.
1 year later
