Since September 2024, JCWC and Portland Parks and Recreation have worked with Sunnyside Environmental Middle School to offer students a chance to build a relationship with the land at Errol Heights Park.
In October, students visited Errol Heights to acquaint themselves with the area. Many of them had never been to the park before and were excited to walk along the trails and observe wildlife along the wetland. In November, the same student cohort returned to the park to plant wildflowers and shrubs including red-flowering currant, fireweed and goldenrod. These plants can be found along the metal walkway leading from the top of the hill down to the wetland.
This past month, classes returned to Errol Heights to do further planting near the community gardens. Students planted 175 camas, cow parsnip, Oregon iris, and large-leaf lupine. They also observed changes at the park since the fall and witnessed over seven nutria hunkered down in logs in the wetland. They spotted a few different kinds of waterfowl and a mink running along the far bank of the wetland.
Students look forward to one more visit to the park in May, when they might be able to see greater seasonal changes around the park and the plants they planted bud out for spring.
