When Barbara Quinn, president of Friends of Baltimore Woods (FBW), a Portland, Oregon-based neighborhood group, and her colleagues found out last month that the regional government (Metro) awarded the group a $158,000 grant, they could not have been happier. The Nature in the Neighborhoods grant helps FBW and its partner, Three Rivers Land Conservancy, purchase five privately owned lots in the Baltimore Woods, a 30-acre, narrow wooded corridor along the North slope of the Willamette River. “We are trying to preserve the last remaining native oak trees that provides a green corridor for many animals and migrating birds,” says Quinn. In addition to providing green space for animals, the Baltimore Woods will be an outdoor classroom for urban school kids and connect to the proposed North Portland Willamette Greenway bike trail.

The grant awarded by Metro only covers about a third of the total $475,000 required to buy five of 12 lots in the Baltimore Woods.  Much of the remaining costs were already paid for by FBW’s partners, like Portland Bureau of Environmental Services, SOLV, Three Rivers, and Portland Parks and Recreation. Despite generous grant money and donations, FBW still has to raise $24,000 on its own to pay for the five properties. In order to raise money, the group is hoping to form additional partnerships and is hosting a presentation fundraiser in August. “We are looking for other partnerships and talking to owners and private businesses to help pay for the $24,000,” says Quinn.

In addition to raising money to buy property, FBW is also working to turn the 30-acre forest into an outdoor classroom for local children and schools. The woods can help teach kids about local plants and animals as well as watershed health in an urban environment.  “We want to educate school kids in the neighborhood about the value of woodlands in an urban environment,” says Quinn.

Creating a green classroom in an urban environment is what first inspired resident Jim Barnas to start FBW about nine years ago.  “It was Jim’s vision that inspired me and many of our neighbors to see the value of these woods and attempt to restore them to their native health,” says Quinn.

The Baltimore woods are so valuable because they provide a wooded path that connects to larger wooded areas so animals can safely travel through the city. “The entire Willamette river block is very important for many migratory animals that use it to get from one covered area to another,” says Quinn. The woods also harbor a large population of native oaks, which are disappearing from Oregon woods.

In addition to providing green space for animals, the Baltimore Woods provide erosion and pollution control for residents and industries located on the North Willamette Bank. According to Quinn, building projects in the area have had some problems with erosion because river soils are loose in the area. “They have had to do major engineering projects to stabilize the land,” says Quinn.

Another reason the city is interested in the Baltimore Woods is that it is now being considered as part of an extension to the Willamette River Greenway trail, a 40-mile loop around Portland. If FBW can raise the money they need, the Baltimore Woods may someday be restored to its full potential and provide animals, school kids, and Portland residents alike with a healthy green space to enjoy.