September 24, 2024
Since 1989, the Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah have been vital, active stewards of more than 4,800 acres of wetlands, prairies, oak savannas, and forests of the Greater Mount Pisgah area. If you enjoy hiking, picnicking or swimming at Mount Pisgah, you are the beneficiary of the work of the Friends and their many active volunteers! Recreational visitors to Mount Pisgah may not be aware of another unique program the Friends have been managing for many years: their native plant nursery, located in the North Bottomlands of the park.
The nursery’s primary purpose is to provide seed and live plants for stewardship and restoration efforts in the greater Mount Pisgah area, producing a “treasure trove of biodiversity” of over 130 species native to the Upper Willamette Valley. The Friends propagate species that are uniquely suited to imperiled prairie and savanna habitat, making the nursery an important resource not just for the Mount Pisgah area, but also for regional habitat restoration efforts. They also host an annual native plant sale open to the general public – a great resource for folks working to incorporate native plants in their home landscaping to benefit our local pollinators and birds.
The Friends received a $30,000 grant from the Upper Willamette SWCD in 2024 to support and sustain the native plant nursery. This September, District board and staff will participate in a Day of Caring volunteer project at the nursery. To learn more about participating in the Friends’ work, visit https://bufordpark.org/.
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Photos by Jason Blazar