2025 Pier Park Pick-Up Review

Everyone gathered before the Pier Park Pick-Up

Written by

Mary Ann Aschenbrenner

in

April 19th was a beautiful day at Pier Park. Over 60 volunteers, including neighbors, couples, disc golfers, a Girl Scout troop, KOIN-TV Channel 6, SOLVE staff, Portland Parks and Recreation staff, and, of course, Friends of Pier Park showed up to beautify, protect, and help diversify the Pier Park understory.

Friends of Pier Park Chair Steve Davis and Mayor Wilson
Mayor Wilson speaking before the Pier Park Pick-Up. Friends of Pier Park Chair Steve Davis stands behind him.

Work included planting native plants and mulching beds, improving paths used by disc golfers, digging better drainage around some tee pads for the disc course, installing a raised basket for the course, picking up garbage, and pulling fallen limbs into piles for Parks staff to remove. There was even a very special project for the fairy garden!

Friends of Pier Park grant writer, Stephanie LaMonica, with Mayor Wilson
Stephanie LaMonica with Mayor Wilson. LaMonica has written several grants that have helped pay for the many native understory plants you see at Pier Park.

Thank you to all of the volunteers!!!

Enjoy the photos!

Our Favorite Couples

Neighborhood couple who helped pick up sticks to improve Pier Park.
Disc golf couple volunteering at Pier Park
Volunteers from McDonald Miller.

Understory Planting and Mulching

Volunteers hauling mulch to protect native plants.
KOIN 8 volunteers spreading mulch around native plants.
Established native plant bed
Volunteer spreading mulch around native plants.
Volunteer spreading mulch around native plants.
Volunteer spreading mulch around native plants.
Spreading mulch for native plant protection.
Established native plant bed

Disc Golf Course Improvements

Installing a raised basket at Pier Park disc course.
Installing a raised basket on the disc golf course.
Disc golfers spreading gravel on a path
Volunteers spreading gravel on a path
Using boulders and gravel to create a raised basket for the disc golf course.
Spreading gravel on a path.
Disc golf volunteers spreading gravel on a path used by disc golfers.

Invasive Plant Removal

Volunteer with a pile of invasive blackberries.
Volunteers with a pile of invasive blackberries they dug up.
Volunteer digging invasive plants.
Invasive blackberry volunteer working.
KOIN Channel8 volunteer pulling invasive blackberries

Fairy Garden

Fairy house in the Pier Park Fairy Garden.
Fairy on a stump with fir cones and moss.
Fairies play area made of logs and a large fir cone.
Fairy Garden sign in fir cones
Find a fairy and play with it. Re-hide the fairy for others. Thank you from the fairies.
Dave Blado briefing the girl scouts on the fairy garden work

Garbage Pick Up

A volunteer with a big bag of garbage she picked up.
The pile of garbage bags picked up at Pier Park.

An additional Thank You

To Dave Blado from Portland Parks, thank you for all the love you put into Pier Park. None of this could be done without your encouragement and help.

Dave Blado, center, speaks with SOLVE staff
Dave Blado, horticulturist for Portland Parks, facing center, talks with SOLVE Staff at the Pier Park Pick-Up.

Join Us Next April to Celebrate Earth Day

Mark your April, 2026 calendar to come out and celebrate Earth Day by helping to beautify, protect, and improve Pier Park.

All are welcome!

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