Connected to the East Bank Esplanade, intersected by one of Portland’s busiest bikeways, and graced with expansive views of the Willamette River and the downtown skyline, Peace Memorial Park was established as a public place to honor victims of war, both military and civilian. Since we have joined in partnership with Veterans For Peace in 2019 to clean up and maintain the park, the vision of the space has expanded to honor the intersection of conflict, climate and social justice.

With the pandemic, we’ve been unable to do any large work parties this Spring. However, with the county is slowly opening up, we decided it would be appropriate to organize some volunteer groups to help maintain the park over the summer.

In mid-June, our first small group of volunteers made some great progress in cleaning up garbage and mowing back some of the large vegetation (see below for some pictures).

Over July and August, we have three more volunteer events:

Saturday, July 18th work party with SOLVE

In partnership with SOLVE, this larger volunteer day will encompass both Peace Memorial Park and some of the surrounding areas (Eastbank Esplanade/Convention Center/Moda Center).

The clean-up event may include trash pick-up, invasive plant removal, sweeping and power-washing walkways/bikeways, and potentially planting new plants (in coordination with Eastbank Esplanade landscape designer).

• When: Saturday, July 18, 2020. 10:00am – 12:30pm
• Meeting Location: Peace Memorial Park located at the intersection of NE Oregon St and NE Lloyd Blvd (near the Oregon Convention Center).
• What’s Provided: All tools & supplies- heavy-duty garbage bags, vinyl gloves + shovels, etc. for invasive removal or planting.
• What to Bring: Please come wearing a face covering, closed-toed shoes, with a filled reusable water bottle. If you have your own gloves, litter grabber, and litter bag, or bucket, you are encouraged to bring those as well. Observe social distancing throughout the cleanup.
• Restrooms: Public restrooms will not be available during this event. Please plan accordingly.
• Getting There/ Parking: Walking/biking to the event is encouraged, but metered street parking and private parking lots available for car parking nearby. The site is close to Rose Quarter MAX Station. Metered street parking and private parking lots available for car parking nearby.
• Advanced Registration: Pre-registration is required! Please sign up on SOLVE’s website here ahead of time so we know how many volunteers to expect and to fill out the volunteer waiver form.

NOTE: On this day we are looking for 3-6 other volunteers to help weed whack and mow within Peace Memorial Park. If you have your own weed whacker or lawnmower and able to attend, please contact Joshua@ecolloyd.org.

August 8th and 30th Volunteer Days

On Sunday, August 30th we will have a volunteer day focusing on Peace Memorial Park. We’re looking for 8-15 volunteers to pick-up garbage, weed whack, or mow. These days are “bring your own clean-up/landscaping supplies” events. Depending on the task this includes gloves (for all tasks), plastic bags (for garbage clean up), weed whacker, or lawnmower. Other optional tools include litter picker, rake.

Please use this link to see more information and to sign up for volunteer. If you have questions contact Joshua@ecolloyd.org.

Pictures from Summer 2020 Volunteers Clean Ups

Tags: cleanup, Peace Memorial Park, Pollinator Garden, Pollinator Placemaking, SOLVE, volunteer