Westside Parks

Volunteer at our developed parks on the westside of Portland. Developed parks are located throughout the city and include recreation opportunities such as, playgrounds, basketball and tennis courts, sports fields, dog off-leash areas, nature patches, and community events and programs. 

Some of these volunteer opportunities are led by our Friends groups. Our volunteer opportunities include park cleanups, gardening, rose pruning, and more

For volunteer opportunities at Washington Park, including Hoyt Arboretum and Pittock Gardens, please visit our Washington Park program page. 

For opportunities at the International Rose Test Garden, please visit the Rose Garden program page.

For opportunities at Nature Patches, please visit the Nature Patches program page.

What is a Developed Park?

Developed parks range in size from small parks like Cherry Park to the South Waterfront to Cathedral Park to Mt. Tabor. They are located throughout the city and include amenities like playgrounds, basketball and tennis courts, sports fields, dog off-leash areas, nature patches, and programming like Summer Free For All. 

Plants in the Park

Volunteers Tend to plants in a local park with us! Caring for trees, flower beds, shrubs and other flora (a scientific word for plants) is a great way to connect with nature in the urban environment. Volunteers learn new skills and information, help keep parks clean from litter, meet people with similar interests in plants and horticulture, and support their community ecosystem. There are opportunities available for a range of ages and abilities.

Some volunteer activities include:

• Weeding and pruning
• Litter pick-up
• Habitat restoration and preservation
• Mulching trees and flower beds
• Installing new plant beds, pollinator or rain gardens