March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 43

Rosewall oversees the creation
of " nature patches " for Portland
Parks and Recreation. " Nature
patches improve underutilized,
challenging or worn-down park
landscapes by converting them
to inviting public spaces, which
require less maintenance, " says
Rosewall. " They transform spaces that had been ignored into ones
that are appealing and beneficial
to people, wildlife and nature. "
The process is straightforward,
but highly interactive. First, a site
in an existing park is identified
as a good candidate for transformation. Then, bureau staff, such
as park technicians, horticulturists, recreation planners and
landscape architects, gather to
discuss the physical site characteristics, the current use patterns
of park visitors, the problems
with existing vegetation and the
likely successful mix of species
that could be applied at the site.
This interdisciplinary approach
	

has been one of the unforeseen
benefits of the program. " The
process of designing and building
nature patches has been kept inhouse, with our staff leading the
way. That's proven to be a great
tool for building teamwork with
a shared vision and great camaraderie, " says Rosewall.
Next, a plan is developed. " When
we are in the design phase, " says
Rosewall, " our team is often comparing the project to the previous
ones - pulling the best elements
and features from each patch to
create the next one. " Often the design includes not just native plants,
but also other features that will
enhance the park-user experience,
such as trails, seating opportunities
and interpretive signs explaining
the project. Undesirable trees are
identified for removal, and others
are marked for pruning to allow
adequate light for the new plantings. Low-key, split-rail fencing
often is used to help people (and

The Alberta Park community planting
crew is comprised of park staff and
volunteers.

dogs) stay out of areas that are being revegetated.

Community Construction
Next, plants are ordered, and
the construction effort is choreographed. Again, Portland Parks
and Recreation staff lead the
way, receiving assistance from
neighborhood volunteers. " Many
parkies from different divisions
across Portland Parks and Recreation get to play a part in creating something really cool from
scratch, " says Rosewall. " Turning a degraded area into a lovely space for community is something we all take a lot of pride
in. " This results in a huge morale
boost and sense of teamwork for
staff and volunteers alike.
The work is carefully staged over
a two- to three-month construction

PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N .O R G | M A R C H 2 02 1 |

Parks & Recreation

43



March 2021 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2021 - Parks & Recreation

March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - Cover1
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - Cover2
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 1
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 2
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 3
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 4
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 5
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 6
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 7
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 8
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 9
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 10
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 11
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 12
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 13
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 14
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 15
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 16
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 17
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 18
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 19
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 20
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 21
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 22
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 23
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 24
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 25
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 26
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 27
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 28
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 29
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 30
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 31
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 32
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 33
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 34
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 35
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 36
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 37
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 38
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 39
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 40
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 41
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 42
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 43
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 44
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 45
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 46
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 47
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 48
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 49
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 50
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 51
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 52
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 53
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 54
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 55
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 56
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - Cover3
March 2021 - Parks & Recreation - Cover4
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2021
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