Help Reopen Marion County Parks - Willamette Valley

Location: North Fork Park, Lyons, OR

***Please see note below about parking and shuttles to the park

Morning Session: 8:30AM-11:30AM

Afternoon Session: 12:30PM-3:30PM

Lunch available onsite for all volunteers: 11:00AM-1:30PM

Crew Leader: TKO and Marion County Parks Staff

Max Size of Crew: 12 for Trail Projects, 20 for Park Projects

Hike Intensity: Low

Work Intensity: Variable

Project Information: Trailkeepers of Oregon, Oregon Parks Forever, and SOLVE are teaming up to support Marion County's Canyon Comeback series of events working to reopen parks affected by the 2020 Beachie Creek fire. Volunteers can choose between trail restoration activities lead by TKO or park/conservation projects lead by Marion County Parks staff. Join us for the morning, the afternoon, or both! Lunch will be provided on site by Oregon Parks Forever.

Parks/Conservation projects will include activities such as installing temporary fencing, installig bird houses, painting restrooms, and installing dog waste stations and garbage cans.

Trail construction projects will include activities such as brushing back vegetation, tread work, and drainage work.

Event details/Parking:

Due to parking limitations, volunteers will be asked to park at the Oregon Department of Forestry in Lyons (22965 N Fork Rd SE, Lyons, OR, 97358) and take the provided free shuttle to North Fork Park. Detailed event information, including directions to the meeting location and shuttle times, will be provided to registrants via email 48 hours prior to the event.

If you're volunteering on trail projects for the first time, read this blog by a volunteer to know what to expect at your first trail party.

What to bring:

• Plenty of water
• Snacks
• Work gloves if you have them (loaner gloves available)
• Any medications or emergency supplies you may need
• Sunscreen + insect repellent
• A pack to bring all of this with you on trail
• TKO and Marion County Parks will provide all tools and personal protective equipment (hard hats, gloves, glasses)
• Need gear? TKO has clothes, boots, camping gear, and more available for loan. Reach out to volunteers@trailkeepersoforegon.org to let us know how we can help!

What to wear:

• Boots (Please wear something sturdy that will protect your toes from sharp tools. Tennis shoes are not recommended. Open-toed shoes will not be allowed.)
• Long sleeved shirts and pants
• Rain gear, insulating layers, sun protection, etc. as appropriate for the weather

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: TKO recognizes that the trails we work on travel through the traditional lands of many Indigenous tribes and communities. We are the most recent in a long line of stewards to this land, and it is our responsibility to do so with humility and respect. We are grateful to these tribes and their descendants for being the original and continuing stewards of these spaces, and encourage everyone to go beyond a land ackowledgment by supporting Indigenous communities and organizations in your area.

ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS: TKO seeks to make our events inclusive of people of all backgrounds and abilities. If you would like to discuss potential accommodations to allow for your participation in this event, please click here to complete a short Google survey. TKO staff will then contact you to discuss options. Please note: available accommodations will vary by event and typically need to be requested a minimum of two weeks in advance. If you have any questions, please contact TKO Stewardship Manager Lindsay McIntosh-Tolle at lindsay.mcintosh@trailkeepersoforegon.org.

EQUITY & INCLUSION: TKO seeks to make Oregon’s trails a place where people can go to connect with nature and one another. Not everyone feels safe or welcome in the outdoors and we commit to being part of the solution to this problem and to enact change. Conduct, speech, or expressions that target any individual or group will not be tolerated by TKO.

PERSONAL SAFETY: Your physical and emotional safety is our number one priority. If a person’s actions or comments make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, you may: interrupt directly, talk with a TKO leader, and/or inform TKO staff via the anonymous post-event survey.

While TKO no longer requires masking/vaccination for our events, we do support those who choose to mask for their own safety. We ask participants to respect the health of folks who wear masks by distancing or wearing a mask while in close proximity.