12th Annual Wildflower Celebration – April 29th – Awbrey Park

Posted on April 2, 2023 by Gary Haliski

Join in the fun at the Awbrey Park annual Wildflower Celebration on Saturday, April 29th from 11 am to 2 pm. The park is located at 4291River Road. Take a self-guided tour and discover native flowers, shrubs, and trees. The Friends of Awbrey Park will be stationed throughout the park to help you find trillium, lupine, red Columbine, bleeding heart, violets, fairy bells, starry false Solomon Seal, Oregon myrtle, and much, much more. Other items to look forward to:

  • Live Music – Santa Clara’s own Tim Foelker, and Jerry Finigan and Friends
  • Treasure Hunt – Search for native plants and earn a native plant while supplies last. Plants are provided by the City of Eugene, Buford Park Native Plant Nursery and the Small is Beautiful Farm.
  • Rock Painting – Rocks and paint provided. You make up your own design.
  • Horseshoes

Learning Opportunites about Santa Clara initiatives:

  • The Santa Clara Community Organization – Find out the kind of topics that the SCCO present at monthly meetings (you can attend SCCO meetings in person or via Zoom)
  • The Santa Clara Community Foundation – The SCCF is a 501(c)3 non-profit that supports several projects including renovating the old (1901) schoolhouse on River Loop 2 and returning Hileman Landing to a more natural state.
  • Lane County Master Gardeners mobile plant clinic will be available to answer questions.
  • The Irving Grange will be present to talk about their new mural project on the side of their building (1011 Irvington Dr)
  • Boy Scout Troop 182 – Thank the young men who have helped chip our trails for many years and been responsible for the flourishing natives on ‘Boy Scout Bank’
  • CERT and Eugene EMCOMM will be at the event to give important information about Community Emergency Response and Emergency Communication. Learn about skills needed for fire safety, disaster medical operations, emergency communication, and a lot more.
  • Meet the Friends of Awbrey Park. The Friends just completed their 15th year of improving the park. If you haven’t been to the park since before late 2015, it is time to visit the park once again. The city put in a new bridge to replace a slippery log. The bridge makes it safe to walk to the small forest in the east part of the park.

Bring a picnic. Children are more than welcome. The park features two playground areas (one for 2-5 years old and one for 6-12 years), a large playfield, a pollinator garden, Spring Creek and a small forest where you will find woodpeckers, mallards, newts, and salamanders.

For more information, please contact Kelsey Irvine, Native Plant/ Waterways Volunteer Coordinator, at 541-228-5349 or KIrvine@eugene-or.gov .

Posted in Emergency Preparedness, Gardening, Parks - Dog Parks, Santa Clara Community Foundation, Santa Clara Schoolhouse, SCCF Hileman Stewardship | 2 Comments

Move EUG Takes Off

Posted on March 31, 2023 by Tim Foelker

Have you heard about Move EUG? It’s the City of Eugene’s new community planning project designed to identify and prioritize walking, biking, and safety programs and infrastructure projects. The first step of Move EUG is now underway! The Transportation Planning Team will be listening to community members this spring about their experience with walking, biking and safely getting around in Eugene.

The City wants to know how you think walking, biking, rolling and taking the bus can be more accessible and enjoyable, in addition to how you think all ways of travelling could be made safer for everyone. Share your project ideas and transportation experiences with City Transportation Planners at the Move EUG Open House on April 20th at the Farmer’s Market Pavilion downtown from 4:30pm – 7:00pm. Or visit the Move EUG Engage Eugene page to share your ideas and experiences via online tools:  https://engage.eugene-or.gov/move-eug 

Posted in Education, Events, General Interest, Public Safety, Transportation | 4 Comments

Share Your Thoughts About LTD

Posted on March 28, 2023 by Gary Haliski

From LTD:

We want to hear from you! Take LTD’s annual customer satisfaction survey now through April 30 to tell us how we’re doing. Whether you use the buses frequently, occasionally, or hardly at all, we want to hear from you! People who complete the survey will be entered to win a $100 gift card to Fred Meyer. The survey takes 3-5 minutes to complete and is available March 27-April 30. Printed surveys are available upon request at the Customer Service Center and can be returned there once completed.

Take the survey: https://www.ltd.org/customer-service-survey/

Thank you in advance for your assistance in getting this information out to the community.

Cammie Harris
Marketing and Communications Representative

Posted in LTD Mass Transit | Leave a comment

Hileman Park Heroes—Launch Day

Posted on March 26, 2023 by Tim Foelker

The Santa Clara Community Foundation has officially adopted Hileman Landing County Park. Tim Foelker (SCCF board president) signed the work plan agreement with Lane County on Thursday, March 23rd, and Saturday, picked up tools for the inaugural Last-Saturday-of-the-Month regular work parties to begin serious park rehabilitation. (Please mark you calendars.)

Neighbor Arlene G. arrived with a beautiful smile on her face.

Of course, we are doing the hard work of invasives removal and cleanup around the entrance. It won’t be long, though, until we can plant some native trees/shrubs and move further into the park. Jerry Finigan (below) won first prize for the largest blackberry-briar root yet!

Some of these blackberry corms have been rooting for many decades.

We had eight volunteers—a great turn-out for an inaugural event—and we engaged with a dozen or so park visitors and, often, their pets. These visitors deserve thanks for the fabulous job of keeping the park clean the last year or so. We filled only a tiny bucket of trash and doo on this day!

The diligent Pond-bank team, from left to right: Peter Thurston, Tim Foelker, Amy B., Khloe, and Margo.

Our next event is scheduled for May 27th. We are skipping April 29th, because that is the day of the Awbrey Park Wildflower Celebration. Join the neighborhood there for wildflower tours, info tables, food, music, and fun.

Then join us in May for a shift. We’ll be working from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM. Choose a time that works best for you. Tell your friends and neighbors, and follow the park’s progress in your media.

Rich K. (left) and Jerry Finigan prepping the park gate area for planting

The Santa Clara Community Foundation would like to thank Kate Perle, from the nearby Small is Beautiful Farmstand (and SCCO president!), for creating and displaying the excellent road sign for the event. Plus, Jodi Low, Lane County Parks Volunteer and Marketing Coordinator, for creating the shift sign-up, and getting tools and gloves to us.

Posted in Environment-Recycling, Events, Santa Clara Community Foundation, SCCF Hileman Stewardship | Leave a comment

Join Hileman Park Heroes, This Saturday

Posted on March 20, 2023 by Tim Foelker

Are you looking for a meaningful way to give back to your community? Do you enjoy spending time outdoors and making a positive impact on the environment? Look no further than Hileman Park Heroes!

Next Event: Saturday, March 25, 2023, starts at 9:30 AM.

Join our monthly work parties on the last Saturday of each month from 9:30 AM—2:00 PM, and become a part of a dedicated group of volunteers committed to preserving and improving our local park. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or simply enjoy getting your hands dirty, there’s a role for everyone at Hileman Park Heroes.

Our work parties are a fun and rewarding way to make a difference in your community. You’ll have the opportunity to work alongside like-minded individuals, learn new skills, and contribute to the beautification and maintenance of Hileman Park. Plus, you’ll be helping to create a welcoming and enjoyable space for all members of our community to enjoy.

So why wait? Sign up today. Use this Event Sign Up Genius to register for a shift.

Hileman Landing County Park is located at the end of Hileman Lane in north Santa Clara. Find the location on a map…

Hileman Park Heroes is a Stewardship Project of the Santa Clara Community Foundation, your local nonprofit dedicated to bringing together neighbors and organizations to create a thriving neighborhood presence in the Santa Clara area of Lane County, Oregon.

Posted in Events, General Interest, Parks - Dog Parks, Parks and Natural Resources, Santa Clara Community Foundation, SCCF Hileman Stewardship | Leave a comment