BY TIM DeLANO

eferred by theClackamasCounty

Tourism Office,two separatebusloads ofChinese businessleaders interest-ed in theAmerican versionof forest manage-ment and naturalresource conser-vation, visitedHopkinsDemonstrationForest last October.

Many “Ni hao” greetings wereheard when Tim DeLano, communityoutreach coordinator for HopkinsDemonstration Forest met each tourgroup. Ni hao is “hello” in Chineseand pronounced like “knee how.”Thankfully, skilled interpreters wereon hand to translate the technical

information that followed. Delegates were interested to learn

which tree species are grown inOregon, what the wood is used for,forest land-use laws and regulations,and sustainability issues. Theylearned that some of the trees har-vested at Hopkins were shipped tothe Asian market, maybe even usedin China. They were fascinated toknow how many American forests areprivately owned, not common inChina. The most powerful part of theexperience was a short walk througha native Oregon forest—seeing, hear-ing, touching and smelling. Forestsare much more than just trees.

BY JIM KADERA

on Chase of Estacada is dedicatedto getting things done at HopkinsDemonstration Forest.

A retired U.S. Forest Service roadengineer, Chase usually helps duringthe monthly Community ForestryDays. He also passes along his skills inthe forest at other times.

“I’ve known Ken (Everett, ForestsForever executive director) for years,and he asked me to help aroundhere,” Chase said during a work breakon a chilly February day. “Besidesengineering, I’ve been a heavy equip-ment operator.”

In addition to handyman improve-ments at Hopkins, Chase strives toeducate youths who volunteer to learna few of the basic forestry skills.

The tour bus waits for a group from China at the end of their shorthike through a native Oregon forest at Hopkins DemonstrationForest.

Hopkins Demonstration Forest

Grouse HollowSPRING 2011

A publication for friends of Hopkins Demonstration Forestand partners of Forests Forever, Inc.

One Student’sExperience

ConstructionProgresses

WelcomeForest Hosts

Middle-schoolers are Key on Trees

Calendar of EventsInsi

de

Hopkins Forest AttractsChinese Business Visitors

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Don Chase shows local father-son teamhow to plant red alder seedlings.

Helpful Hands

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News

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .continued on page 2

www.demonstrationforest.orgFor updated images from recent events

and activities visit the website.

“I was raised on a ranch where ifsomething broke you had to fix ityourself,” he said. “Our younger urbangeneration isn’t learning these skills. Ienjoy working with them. This morn-ing was another example of sharingskills when we planted trees. If some-one doesn’t pick up on these skills,they become lost arts.”

Page 2 • Grouse Hollow News–Spring 2011 www.demonstrationforest.org

Contact InfoForests Forever, Inc.

P.O. Box 1320, Oregon City, OR 97045Business Office Phone: 503-655-5524

Business FAX: 503-824-5527

Hopkins Demonstration Forest16750 S. Brockway Rd., Oregon City, OR 97045

Phone: 503-632-2150www.demonstrationforest.org

Forests ForeverBoard of Directors

Ken Everett, Executive Director, Colton

Dan Green, Board Chair, Oregon City

Maralyn Turner, Secretary, Portland

Mike McCoy, Treasurer, West Linn

Keith Baldwin, Silverton

Mike Bondi, Lake Oswego

Mary Castle, Oregon City

Mike Daly, Mulino

Dave Hill, Oregon City

Jim Kadera, Oregon City

Mike Piazza, West Linn

John Poppino, Milwaukie

StaffTim DeLano

Community Forestry EducatorDon Chase, Special Projects

Forest HostsMargi Wyatt and Marcelino Macedo

Grouse Hollow NewsEditors: Tim DeLano, Jim Kadera

Layout & Design Kim Minten, Minten Graphics

BY ESTHER VERBRUGGEN

everal students eachyear are fortunate toexperience the beauty of

Hopkins DemonstrationForest, with its breathtakingsilence and peacefulnessand the sweet smell ofnature drifting through thecreaking trees. I am one ofthe lucky ones; by partici-pating in the CommunityForestry Days to fulfill aschool requirement, Ilearned skills that can neverbe taught in a classroom.

Tim DeLano, the ForestryEducator who oversaw theactivities of the day, con-stantly shared his expertisewith a cheerfulness andenthusiasm unmatched bymost classroom teachers. He happilyinformed the group of the impor-tance of pruning trees, maintainingthe road, planting new trees, and anumber of other tasks. There werealso lessons to be learned that are rel-evant to every part of life, such as thenecessity of prioritizing work insteadof trying to complete an impossibleworkload.

There were some challengingexperiences during those days atHopkins. Clearing the ditches on theedges of road to ensure that the roadswere not eroding was miserable work;it was both tedious and cold, andbest accomplished while it rained.However, being with a group of intel-ligent and interesting people made itworthwhile.

Most of the time volunteering at thedemonstration forest was extremely

enjoyable. My favorite day was the daywe made Christmas decorations out ofsupplies found in the forest. Wreath-making was entertaining and satisfy-ing work. Another great day was theone in which we spent the afternoonplanting trees. The sun beamedbetween the tree trunks lighting theforest like a scene from a fairy tale;while planting trees we enjoyed sever-al fascinating conversations.

Perhaps the best part of my experi-ence was seeing that there are stillpeople who care about the environ-ment and there are places wherenature thrives. After all, this is theworld I will have to live the rest of mylife in, and I want it to be beautiful. Itis my hope more students will benefitfrom experiences at HopkinsDemonstration Forest; there is alwaysa lesson or memory to take away withyou.

One Student’s Experience

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Continued from page 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

COOKS NEEDEDWe are looking for volunteers who might like to prepare a special family recipe, orwho enjoy cooking a seasonal dish: consider volunteering for the lunch crew at

Hopkins.We need cooks to prepare the spread for volunteers and guests who come toCommunity Forestry Days, on the 2nd Saturday each month. If you are interested,

please contact Tim DeLano at 503-632-2150.

David Douglas High School senior Esther Verbruggenuses a hazel hoe to scalp weeds competing withrecently planted seedlings.

Phone 503.632.2150 Grouse Hollow News–Spring 2011 • Page 3

BY JIM KADERA

orests Forever Inc. hopes to complete the new educa-tion/community building at Hopkins DemonstrationForest this year.“We need to raise about $60,000 more to complete the

building interior,” said Ken Everett, Forests Forever executivedirector. “We’ll apply for a couple grants that will be impor-tant in reaching our goal. And we’ll send letters to people ask-ing for donations.” Donations may be in cash or materials.

The building cost is about $325,000including permits, materials and labor.Some of the materials and labor havebeen donated.

Cedar siding donated by Lazy SLumber was installed in February, com-pleting the building exterior. “We treatedthe siding with a clear preservative tokeep the natural color,” Everett explained.

Dan Coleman, the building carpen-ter, is expected to complete the interiorceiling in March, and then put in theinsulation and sheet rock. Colemanalso will make kitchen cabinets frombig leaf maple trees harvested from the

Hopkins forest. “I’m happy with the results

up to now,” Everett said of thebuilding project. “We’re gettinga good quality job done. We’vecome a long way, and peopleare seeing the results.

“We always can use volun-teer labor. Anyone who wantsto help should call me.”

F

BY JIM KADERA

argi Wyatt and MarcelinoMaceda believe they made agood decision in becoming the

first live-in hosts at HopkinsDemonstration Forest.

The couple wanted a better environ-ment than the recreational vehicle parknear Sandy where they lived beforemoving to Hopkins last October. “Theair is so clear and fresh here, notmoldy,” Wyatt said. “I also enjoy havingplenty of water to irrigate my flowers.

“This is our first time hosting for aproperty like this. It’s been better thanwe expected, helping us grow in a spiri-tual way,” she said of living in a beauti-ful and mostly peaceful natural setting.Electricity, water and septic are provid-ed for their fifth-wheel trailer parkedon the RV pad developed by ForestsForever, near Hopkins Hall.

The hosts are not on-site all the time.Wyatt works throughout the Portlandarea providing in-home care. Maceda

works in construction with skills thatalso come in handy at Hopkins.

Their host responsibilities includepicking up trash, maintaining rest-rooms, giving trail maps and forest useadvice to visitors, and locking/unlock-ing the entry gates. Wyatt said they alsoenjoy taking on unassigned tasks.

“We noticed the amphitheater areaneeded a cleanup so we spent 16 to 20hours getting it done.” They look for-ward to pruning fruit trees near thehosts’ RV pad, she said.

They are the after-hours eyes andears of Hopkins, and occasionally thepeaceful setting is interrupted by peo-ple with bad intentions. Sometimes thenight-time interruptions are from gun-fire on nearby property.

“The first trouble was when some-one in a pickup truck drove down thehill at night and took firewood,” Wyattsaid. The wood theft led ForestsForever to begin locking the entry gateevery night.

In another incident, two youths arebelieved to be the culprits who dam-aged storm-softened trails as they racedthrough on BMX bicycles, she said.

Depending on the type of trouble,the hosts telephone either theClackamas County sheriff office forassistance or alert Ken Everett, ForestsForever executive director.

One of the treats of living in thewoods is hearing coyotes, owls andother critters at night, she noted. “I’mkeeping a journal of our life at Hopkins.It has opened my creative writingagain.” Wyatt also keeps out-of-statefriends and family up to date throughFacebook entries, “and they’ve beeninspired, too, about Hopkins.”

Wyatt takes photos of sunsets andother scenes at Hopkins. “Sometimesat sunset an ocean of purple covers thetree tops,” she said. “I’m also an oilpainter, and getting inspired to do itagain.”

So how long does the couple want tocontinue as hosts? “We love it here,”she said. “We’d like to stay as long asHopkins will have us.”

Welcome Forest Hosts

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Construction Progresses Through Winter

During the February board meeting the memberspresent unanimously agreed on a name for the newbuilding: Forest Hall.

Meanwhile, the fire lookout tower retired from StateForest use has been erected near the new building and may be open by fire seasonthis year, Everett reported. R.F. Specialties of Portland erected the 60-foot tall lookouttower in January along with large wooden beams that will hold a seven foot squarecabin and surrounding catwalk on top of the tower. “It was like assembling a puzzle.They did a good job,” Everett said of putting together the tower’s steel components.

A steel door at the base of the tower steps will be part of the security to keep unwant-ed visitors from accessing the tower. Coleman will build the tower cabin from a designused to make lookouts in the 1940s, Everett said. The lookout will eventually be outfittedwith original fire locating equipment as it would have been while in use decades ago.

“I hope we can have the tower ready for use by this summer. From the top, youcan see far out into the valley on a clear day.”

Piece by piece, the oncescattered metal parts werequickly assembled.

P.O. Box 1320Oregon City, Oregon 97045

Printed on recycled paper

CalendarCelebrate Arbor Week - Ten Trees ToursApril 4-8, 10am-2pm. Celebrate trees with a90-minute tour featuring native Oregon treesgrowing at Hopkins Demonstration Forest.During this tour you will learn how to identifytrees using a dichotomous key in Trees to Knowin Oregon field guide. Register your class orgroup through Oregon City CommunitySchools at 503-785-8520.

Community Forestry Days (CFD)2nd Saturday Each Month, 8:30am-4:30pm.These family-friendly community eventsinclude volunteer projects that vary dependingon the season. Lunch is provided for volun-teers, often including by a brief topical pro-gram. A tour is offered in the afternoon for any-one who wants to see what we’ve been up to.Community Forestry Days begin at 8:30 am;lunch at noon; tour at 2:00 pm.

April 9 CFDCelebrate service with members of several localservice clubs, Scouts, families and friends ofHopkins Demonstration Forest for a day of trailrepair.The usual CFD will be bigger than ever!Many hands make light work-do not miss outon this great day of service and community.To register your family or group, call MichelleDon at 503-518-8808.

Later this spring CFD projects includeMay 14, trail maintenance, weed control, con-struction projectsJune 11, facility repairs, construction projects,weed control

Please RSVP to 503-632-2150 by the Thursdayprior to each CFD if you plan to join us forCommunity Lunch or the Tour.Thank You.

Middle-schoolers Key on TreesBY TIM DeLANO

roperly planting treeseedlings, using a dichoto-mous key to identify tree

species, and learning the lifecycle of a tree—these are justa few of the topics hundredsof middle school studentsfrom the metro area learnwhen they visit HopkinsDemonstration Forest nearBeavercreek. For the past sev-eral years, students in thesixth, seventh and eighthgrades visit Hopkins to studynature, and to nurture the for-est.

Each year’s educationalfocus builds on somethingdone or experienced the yearbefore at the tree farm.Community Forestry Educatorfor Hopkins, Tim DeLanoexplains, “This fall eighth-graderscame to the same area wherethey planted seedlings the yearbefore to survey how many sur-vived—95 percent! That is con-sidered a professional qualityoutcome!”

DeLano also leads a tree iden-tification tour at Hopkins wherestudents walk a 11/2 mile routethrough the woods, stopping afew times to learn about Oregonnative trees. He shows students

how to use the dichotomous keysfound in the Trees to Know inOregon field guide. Sprinkled inamong the keying, reading andjournaling, DeLano shares a fewfanciful stories and studentsoften begin to see how the treesgrowing around them relate totheir daily lives.

Ecology, physiology, dichoto-mous—all BIG forest words, butfitting for BIG forest trees.

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In October, 8th grade students surveyedseedling survival as a follow-up to their treeplanting experience as 7th graders theprevious February.