Walking, Stopping, and Sharing with Paseos Verdes

Local ecologists, Lorena (left), and Shari (right), lead members of the group through Jackson Bottom Wetlands. The blue folders contain facts and information that Naturalists will share with their walking groups, both in English and Spanish, as they explore the wetlands.

A Bilingual Naturalist, Karla, peers through binoculars at a bald eagle soaring above Fernhill Lake while others cool off in the shade.

A swallowtail butterfly lands on a vibrant flower at Jackson Bottom Wetlands, showing how simple the relationship between plants and animals can be in the natural areas that we explore.

Our group of Bilingual Naturalists and Program Coordinators, still smiling after a long day of learning and becoming experts in the wildlife of the Fernhill and Jackson Bottom Wetlands.

As the Paseos Verdes health walks enter their second year, the expansion of the program has been at the forefront of our efforts. Paseos Verdes, a part of the Tree for All initiative, is not only connecting underserved community members to the natural areas in their own backyard, but also encouraging the health and wellness of its participants through walking.

To broaden our community connections with Washington County residents, we’ve enlisted the help of local Bilingual Naturalists. These Bilingual Naturalists are county residents who have an interest in encouraging the exploration of natural areas and the pursuit of wellness by members of the Spanish-speaking community in Washington County. Their training has molded them into well equipped leaders, ready to carry out the mission of Paseos Verdes in our community.

On a sunny Saturday, our new Naturalists—along with a few community ecologists—embarked on a full day of training. The group explored Jackson Bottom Wetlands and Fernhill, familiarizing themselves with the regional flora and fauna that they will soon be sharing with our Paseos Verdes walkers. While repeating a helpful chant: “Walk, stop, and share,” the group traveled along the paths in the wetlands—walking, then stopping, and sharing fun facts about the wildlife and water that happened to be within reach of our eyes, ears, and hands.

A day filled with plant identification, bird watching, and lots of walking, ended with exhausted smiles, and excited guides ready to engage with participants and connect with nature. Like our new Naturalists, we too are looking forward to another year of Paseos Verdes.

Learn more about Paseos Verdes

Cascade Education Corps: Students Connecting to Nature, Community, and Self

The motto for Cascade Education Corps is “Connecting to Nature, Community, and Self," and our partnership with Tree for All is an important part of that connection. We are an experiential education program within Tigard-Tualatin School District that aims to provide underserved youth with the knowledge, skills, resources, and confidence to be life-long environmental stewards.

Students in CEC spend three days per week out in the field working on restoration projects sponsored by other Tree for All partners, including Clean Water Services, Friends of Trees, and The Wetlands Conservancy.

We have had many incredible experiences together this school year. Cascade Education Corps is a program driven by its members, so in this photo gallery, I will get out of the way and let each of them share what has been most meaningful to them about the year so far.

-Jason Pankiewicz-Waldram, Program Coordinator/Crew Leader

So Much More Than a Group of Planters

“This picture was taken on one of the first days I spent in CEC. We went into a wetland area and planted some bulbs, but also attached a wildlife camera to a tree. That's me in the waders with the red shirt on. CEC is so much more than just a group of planters. It offers a new experience and a new outlook on life. By far some of the best days of my life have been with my CEC crew.” -Delon

Teaching Middle Schoolers

“The first group picture that we took of this year was by far my favorite because it was the start of a great year. I knew that right away. Everyone had a wonderful time meeting the Friends of Trees crew and working with them as well as working with students from Fowler Middle School. I remember a week before the actual day of teaching these middle schoolers, we had a lot of doubt of our ability to teach. Especially the teens who never had any experience teaching or even planting shrubs. At the end of the hard teaching day we were so proud of how we all did. Besides the excitement of seeing how much I’ve grown, I got see the development of the others and watch their self-confidence go from nervous to I want to do this again! That is why this photo is very important to me.” -Kessley

Enjoying the Moment

“A special picture to me was taken at Oxbow Park when we saw the deer and did the stinging nettle project. It is special to me because when we saw the deer, we all just froze and enjoyed the moment while we could. It was peaceful and relaxing just being able to watch the deer eat and walk together. The way the mama deer was protecting her kids was really cool to see. That’s why the picture is special to me and why I chose it.” -Treyden

What Cascade Education Corps is All About

“The picture I chose is the time we went hiking in Silver Falls. I chose this picture because its represents what CEC is all about. We are all about having fun and connecting to nature, community, and self. Trips and days like these are awesome for the group because it allows us to connect to nature and each other.” -Brandon

Presentation Time

“Clean Water Services asks us to do jobs for them and one is called #snabitat. We gave a presentation for #snabitat and in this photo had just got done playing in a sand box in the main office. I have a lot of fun in CEC and a lot of the stuff we do would not be possible without the help of Clean Water Services.” -Joshua

"Is He Going to Run Me Into a Tree?"

“In this picture we are at OES doing some teambuilding exercises. In this we had to partner up and one was blindfolded. I was partnered up with Brandon, and at the time we didn’t get along very well. The exercise was the non-blindfolded had to guide the other person that was blindfolded to another location, and you had 3 choices: You could either guide by touch, talking, or just by sound. Me and Brandon both decided to do the hardest one which was just by sound. The whole time I was thinking, ‘OMG, is he going to have me run into a tree or something?’ but to my surprise he did not. The reason I chose this photo was because that day we all connected and came together as a team. Out of all the other fun and amazing days I’ve had with my crew, my friends, my family, that day was the best. It’s when we all became family. We all have a special bond.” -Tyler

A Dose of Nature for Mental Health

Exposure to nearby nature can effectively reduce stress, particularly if initial stress levels are high. Simply having a view of nature produces recovery benefits.

Studies in Japan of 'shinrin-yoku" or "forest bathing" (explain) have found effects of improved immune system response, lowered stress indicators, reduced depression, and lower glucose levels in diabetics.

Natural outdoor play spaces have been shown to foster focus and calm in children. 

We intuitively know that taking a walk in the woods or spending a few minutes by a river produces feelings of calm and wellbeing, but now there’s scientific evidence to back that up. Exposure to nature has been shown to significantly decrease stress and boost wellbeing. 

Chronic stress has been associated with an increase in the risk of conditions such as obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, depression, and asthma. The good news is, research shows that time in nature —or even just a view of trees —can significantly relieve stress, lower blood pressure, and support wellbeing.

A 2010 study published in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, for example, found that participants who walked in a forest had lower blood pressure and levels of cortisol (the body’s stress hormone) afterwards than those who walked through a city environment. Luckily, you don’t need to hike in the wilderness to get these stress-busting benefits. Any green space, even a tree-filled neighborhood park, provides good medicine.

Merely having a view of nature from one’s home or office has been linked to improved wellbeing and enhanced focus. High school students in classrooms with views of trees have been shown to learn better and perform higher on tests. In the workplace, employees with a view of nature have been found to be happier, more productive, and take less sick days.

Washington County residents don’t have to look too far to find a vibrant natural area or tree-filled view. Tree for All’s landscape-scale restoration efforts have resulted in an abundance of opportunities throughout the Tualatin River Watershed to connect with nature – and that’s something we can all feel good about. 

Caption Sources

Wolf, K.L., S. Krueger, and M.A. Rozance. 2014. Stress, Wellness & Physiology - A Literature Review. In: Green Cities: Good Health (www.greenhealth.washington.edu). College of the Environment, University of Washington.

Tsunetsugu, Y., B.J. Park, and Y. Miyazaki. 2010. Trends in Research Related to “Shinrin-Yoku” (Taking in the Forest Atmosphere or Forest Bathing) in Japan. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine 15, 1:27-37.

Nedovic, S., Morrissey, A., (2013). Calm, active and focused: Children’s responses to an organic outdoor learning environment. Learning Environments Research, 16(2), 281-295.

Partners Band Together to Offer Watershed Health Walks

Paseos Verdes is improving community health while fostering the river stewards of tomorrow. 

Clean Water Services, Portland Audubon and Bienestar Community Development Corporation are Tree for All partners with a history of working together to foster understanding of watershed health through the Bienestar Explorador Summer Camps Program. Over the last decade, the Summer Camps program has provided an opportunity for children and their families to build meaningful relationships with nature while learning about the workings of the natural environment.

Spurred by the success of the Explorador program, the partners developed Paseos Verdes (“Green Walks”), a program that connects underserved community members to natural areas in Washington County through guided walks in the Tualatin River Watershed. Paseos Verdes is based on the simple idea that connecting the community with nature is good for the watershed and good for human health and wellness. The walks engage families to learn about watershed health, water management and wildlife. These experiences promote environmental stewardship while providing the health benefits of connecting with nature and being active in the outdoors.

During the outings at Fernhill, just south of downtown Forest Grove, participants can often be heard exclaiming “I live nearby and I have never been here before!” while planning their next visit together. On one walk, children lined up excitedly to observe great blue herons and bullfrogs through a bird spotting scope while marveling that their bathwater could end up in such a beautiful place. On another occasion, a delighted grandmother spotted wild chamomile growing alongside the trail, and taught the group all about its uses in her native Mexico.

The first year of Paseos Verdes has been a great success, and the response from the Bienestar community has been overwhelmingly positive. Working closely with Bienestar promotoras (community connectors), program participation has exceeded our expectations and families have been eager to sign up again. By providing culturally competent and engaging opportunities for Washington County residents to connect with the Tualatin River Watershed, Paseos Verdes is improving community health while fostering the river stewards of tomorrow. We are looking forward to expanding Paseos Verdes in 2018 and bringing on new partners to broaden the program’s impact on Washington County residents and the Tualatin River Watershed.

Watch a short video of a Watershed Health Walk. 

Green Places are Healthier Spaces to Walk, Run and Play

Residents of areas with the highest levels of greenery were three times as likely to be physically active and 40% less likely to be overweight or obese than those living in the least green settings.

In one study, elderly people who had nearby parks, tree-lined streets, and space for taking walks showed higher longevity over a five-year study period.

The character of a neighborhood has a significant effect on residents' physical activity. People in communities with abundant greenspace generally enjoy better health

Research shows that people who live near green areas are more likely to engage in regular exercise. Indeed, one of the major ways that nature benefits our health is by motivating and facilitating outdoor physical activity. Whether it’s walking a dog, riding a bike, practicing tai chi, or playing Frisbee golf — it’s more enjoyable, and more beneficial to our health, when we exercise outside.

As modern lifestyles have become increasingly sedentary, there has been a sharp rise in obesity and associated chronic diseases such as heart disease, arthritis, stroke, Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers. The good news is that many of these conditions are preventable. Physical activity combats and prevents many chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity, lowers blood pressure, burns calories, boosts metabolism, and even promotes positive self-esteem. Outdoor exercise also provides significant mental health benefits that indoor exercise does not provide, such as reduced stress and attention restoration. 

So how do we encourage our communities to go outside and get moving? By bringing Mother Nature back into our neighborhoods. Our environment has a huge influence on our exercise behavior. In fact, research shows that environmental interventions, such as establishing bike paths and walkways, are more effective at influencing physical activity rates than interventions based on information or media campaigns. By bringing Mother Nature back into our communities, Tree for All is also making our neighborhoods healthier by providing greener places to walk, run, and play.  

Explore the health benefits of Tree for All.

Caption sources

Ellaway, A., S. Macintyre, and X. Bonnefoy. 2005. Graffiti, Greenery, and Obesity in Adults: Secondary Analysis of European Cross Sectional Survey. British Medical Journal 331:611-612.

Takano, T., K. Nakamura, and M. Watanabe. 2002. Urban Residential Environments and Senior Citizens’ Longevity in Mega-City Areas: The Importance of Walkable Green Space. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 56, 12:913–916.

Maas, J., R.A. Verheij, P.P. Groenewegen, S. de Vries, and P. Spreeuwenberg. 2006. Green Space, Urbanity, and Health: How Strong is the Relation? Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 60:587–592.