On Saturday, February 10, local volunteers helped plant and then cut a ribbon, or rather an ivy vine, to open a new Nature Patch in Cathedral Park under the St. Johns Bridge. The Patch consists mainly of native trees, shrubs, plants and bulbs that were planted in three areas of the upper park.
The effort is led by Portland Parks & Recreation’s Ecologically Sustainable Landscapes Initiative and is intended to “provide natural experiences for people and habitat for wildlife. Nature patches are natural gardens that support native pollinators and offer opportunities for exploration.”
In upper Cathedral Park a new gravel path leads from N. Edison St. through the recently planted areas and past a meeting site made of basalt column rocks brought in from the Columbia Gorge. Large logs invite sitting or climbing.
Nature Patches have been added to a number of parks around Portland including two others in North Portland, Columbia Park in 2020 and Overlook Park in 2021.
To learn more, see www.portland.gov/parks/nature-patches.