Story by David Nguyen

The Willamette River Stewardship program, part of PP&R's City Nature division, connects communities with the Willamette River and other natural areas in Portland through hands-on restoration and outdoor education events.

Staff at Parks work to connect people who want to volunteer with opportunities to re-plant native species, remove invasive species, collect data about plants and wildlife in the city, and more. In addition to improving the health of our watershed through volunteer events, the program also offers free field trips for Portland-area schoolkids, providing hands-on experience in our city's green spaces.

This month, the City Hall atrium will host the Nature in our City (Parks!) art show, a benefit for the program. The show officially opens tomorrow night with live music and refreshments at 5:30.

All proceeds from the show go to hands-on restoration of our natural areas and outdoor education for local kids. If you can't make it tomorrow, the art will be up through the end of the month, so stop by any time!