On Friday, October 14, 2016 the Portland Monthly magazine awarded the Friends of Nadaka a Light A Fire Award in the category of Game-Changing Project. This award recognized an innovative collaboration that generates a transformative impact for one or more nonprofits. There were over 100 nominations submitted of which seven were given to organizations and five to individuals.
Check out the article published in the November Portland Monthly issue and the video at the bottom was shown at the gala event.
Everyone is welcome to the 6th Annual Nadaka Community Festival to be held at Nadaka Nature Park in Gresham on August 20th from Noon to 3:00pm. Portland Audubon’s live educational birds will be there and we’ll have activities for all ages. Free hot dogs (while they last), face painting and the Aztec dancers will perform in the meadow. Community groups will have information tables.
Address: 17615 NE Glisan Street, Gresham, OR 97230. Enter at NE 175th & NE Pacific where there is parking in the neighborhood or NE 175th & NE Glisan with parking in St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church parking lot. Also parking available on the south side of NE Glisan at NE 176th in the neighborhood. Crosswalk available across NE Glisan.
On April 4th, 2015 the new 2 acre section of Nadaka Nature Park opened to the delight of the community. Read more about the opening in the article written by Jodi Weinberger of the Outlook.
The Friends of Nadaka Nature Park would like to thank Metro, Starbucks, Albertsons, Park Place Cafe, and the Center for Family Success for their donations which made the Grand Opening of Nadaka Nature Park & Garden Project a spectacular success; we greatly appreciate their generosity.
We would also like to thank the Columbia Slough Watershed Council, AARP Foundation, Center for Family Success, Outgrowing Hunger, Cathy Sherick with the Springwater Parks & Community District, the Audubon Society of Portland, and the City of Gresham for providing information and education to community members during the event.
Our wonderful volunteers at the Grand Opening included members from the community, Wilkes East Neighborhood Association, AmeriCorps leaders from HB Lee SUN program, former Camp Fire Girls and Cub Scout Troop #214. A special thanks to Representative Carla Piluso for being the announcer for the event and our guest speakers which included:
Mayor Shane Bemis
Metro Councilor Shirley Craddick
Urban Conservationist Jim Labbe- Audubon Society of Portland
Executive Director Jane Van Dyke- Columbia Slough Watershed Council
Executive Director Jay Udelhoven- East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District
Cherie Ludwig-Former Camp Fire Girl and City of Gresham Employee
Community Leader Lee Dayfield- Friends of Nadaka
H.B. Lee Student Andrei Viatlev
None of this would have been possible without the help of the following people and organizations:
Mayor Shane Bemis, Steve Fancer & others at City of Gresham
Mike Green, City of Gresham – Project Planner
Todd Jones & Norm Helgeson – Gresham Parks Staff
T. A. Nelson Family – Donation Property
Metro – Funding
Meyer Memorial Trust – Funding
Trust for Public Land – Owen Wozniack – Negotiated Transaction for purchase 2 acres
East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District – Funding
St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church Members – Gloria Trunk, Andrew Agler, Byron McKinlay & Many Others
MIG – Christina Frank designed nature based play area, Lauren Schmitt & Rachel Edmonds
Lora Price, Design With Nature – Project Manager for Friends of Nadaka Team
Adam Kohl, Outgrowing Hunger
Bob Michaud-Tradd – Belkor Logworks
Human Solutions – Jean DeMaster – Programming This Summer
Verde – Alan Hipolito, ExecutiveT Director, Ricardo Moreno & staff helped build community garden, nature based play, and did all the landscaping
Ron White, Probity Builders – Project Manager for Verde
Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc – Built Garden Sheds, ADA boxes, trellises
Sue Aschim – Graphic Designer
City’s Contractors: Cedar Mill Construction Co – Jesse Vail & Earthworks Excavation & Construction – Todd Erickson
Chief of Police – Craig Junginger – Boulders
Dayfield Family – Paul, Garrett & Nohelia and Sister Fran Dearborn – Continuing Support
Eastrose Unitarian Church – Fundraising & meeting space
Wilkes East Neighborhood Association
Rockwood Neighborhood Association
Monica McAllister – new Nadaka Nature Park Coordinator
Thank you for making Nadaka Nature Park and Garden’s Grand Opening a huge success!
Running a little behind on posting progress reports but take a look at what had been done as of January 30, 2015 at Nadaka Nature Park. And don’t forget to come to the grand opening celebration on Saturday, April 4th from 10:00am to Noon.
On April 20, 2013 there was a cleanup at Nadaka with SOLVE. There were 38 people who participated logging in 103 hours of volunteer time. With a small grant from SOLVE the Friends of Nadaka were able to purchase 20 pair of work gloves, 4 large Sword Ferns and 3 Currants which were planted by the Girl Scouts. Check out the gallery for more photographs from the event.
A big thank you to Jazzy Bagel for again furnishing their wonderful bagels and the Wilkes East Neighborhood Association for furnishing the porta potty. The Center for Family Success donated apple juice and bananas for the event.