In a groundbreaking effort that melds art, environmentalism, and the rich heritage of Indigenous cultures, the Friends of Tryon Creek is set to unveil a new Education Pavilion at Tryon Creek State Natural Area in Southwest Portland.
This $2.6 million project aims to bolster educational programs at the 665-acre Oregon State Park, situated along Southwest Terwilliger Boulevard between Portland and Lake Oswego, and is slated to open on September 20.
Jessica Green, chair of the Friends group board of directors, expressed enthusiasm about the Pavilion’s potential to expand community engagement.
“The Educational Pavilion will allow Friends of Tryon Creek to better expand its community and educational activities year-round,” Green stated.
The Pavilion will feature two classrooms and a community gathering space, providing a vital resource to enhance the already existing programs facilitated by the nonprofit organization.
Drawing inspiration from the wooden Plankhouses with cantilevered roofs historically created by the Chinookan peoples of the lower Columbia River, the Pavilion’s design is both reflective of Indigenous culture and adaptive for modern educational needs.
Additionally, four regional Indigenous artists are set to contribute new works to complement the Pavilion, ensuring that the space honors and integrates Indigenous perspectives.
The educational curriculum will offer classes for children and older students covering topics such as the region’s geographical history, environmental changes driven by climate change, and strategies for ecosystem restoration, all while incorporating arts and crafts as a core component of the teachings.
Designed by Richard Woodling, international principal at the Veritas Design Group in Portland, the Pavilion includes large windows that provide views of the surrounding forest, a modification of the traditional Plankhouse design which typically features no windows.
The two classrooms will be separated by a hallway that runs from the entrance to a rear public deck, symbolically representing two Indigenous tribes trading across a river.
The initiative has garnered artistic contributions from three prominent Northwest Indigenous artists: Shirod Younker of the Coquille Indian Tribe, Gregory Archuleta from the Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde, and Greg Robinson of the Chinook Nation.
Earl Davis of the Shoalwater Bay Tribe has also created distinct metal fish-shaped pieces as part of the artistic interplay within the Pavilion.
Woodling emphasized the Pavilion’s mission to weave historic Indigenous lore and community knowledge with contemporary educational technologies.
Much of Woodling’s inspiration stemmed from dialogues with Gabe Sheoships, the Friends group’s Executive Director and a Cayuse citizen of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
Sheoships, who has a background in fisheries ecology, is also a co-founder of the Oregon Land Justice Project.
Despite the extensive funding efforts needed for this ambitious initiative, Sheoships noted that donations are still being accepted as they move towards their fundraising goal.
The journey of Friends of Tryon Creek dates back to the 1960s, when a grassroots movement emerged to conserve the heavily forested Tryon Creek Canyon from sprawling residential development.
Volunteers like Lucille Beck and Jean Sidal led efforts to form the first Friends group in state park history in 1970, successfully rallying volunteers and families to raise $27,000 for initial land purchases.
Their advocacy did not go unnoticed; they persuaded Glenn Jackson, a significant civic leader, that more land should be acquired for preservation.
As a result, the state first purchased over 200 acres, culminating in the official announcement of Tryon Creek State Park in 1970, with Oregon Governor Tom McCall leading the charge for conservation.
Today recognized as Tryon Creek State Natural Area, the park thrives with an abundance of diverse tree species, including large red alder, bigleaf maple, Douglas fir, Western red cedar, and Western Hemlock.
The area is additionally home to Tryon Creek, a rare stream in the region that supports runs of coho salmon and steelhead trout.
Over the decades, the Friends of Tryon Creek has evolved into one of the most prominent park support groups nationally, expanding their mission beyond routine park maintenance.
They now conduct a wide array of engaging programs in collaboration with Oregon Parks and Recreation, the department that oversees the park’s operations.
Following the racial justice movements of 2021, the Friends board embraced a broadened mission aimed at fostering inclusivity within all their programs and creating safe spaces for diverse communities in the natural environment.
As stated on their website, the organization acknowledges past exclusions and is actively working to reverse the legacies of colonialism and white supremacy in public land access.
“Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and marginalized communities have faced physical and structural barriers to natural areas, like Tryon, and have had their communities’ cultural knowledge erased from narratives of the land,” the statement reflects.
The strategy includes prioritizing BIPOC leadership and decolonizing traditional nonprofit and environmental education methodologies.
Currently, Friends of Tryon Creek employs 11 staff members, including Sheoships, to manage various programs in the park.
The diverse range of programs offered includes: Forest Adventures for youths aged 6 to 14 to explore nature and create art, School Field Trips to welcome students from local schools, a Green Leaders Workshop Development Program for those looking to learn environmental skills, and Restoration Programs aimed at enhancing the health of the natural area.
The organization also supports a Backyard Habitat Certification Program, guiding homeowners interested in restoring native habitats and multiple community programs focused on engagement and education.
Previously, the Friends group operated from the Nature Center at the park, sharing space with Oregon State Parks staff.
This arrangement limited their capacity to hold larger activities year-round due to the Nature Center’s initial purpose, primarily functioning as a classroom and shelter.
Enclosing an open-sided shelter built in 1975, named the Glenn Jackson Shelter in honor of an early supporter, has long been part of the Comprehensive Long-Range Plan for Tryon Creek State Natural Area, dating back to 2013.
In 2021, Sheoships successfully secured an initial $250,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act to support infrastructure improvements, enabling the Friends group to lead the project that includes the Pavilion’s design and funding activities.
The new structure will encompass 1,960 square feet, doubling the space of the previous shelter while preserving the ecological integrity of the surrounding forest.
Groundbreaking for the Pavilion occurred in fall 2023, followed by careful deconstruction throughout winter and into spring 2024, with much of the original wood being repurposed for the new structure.
Additional woods have been sourced regionally, paralleling the sustainable practices observed in the construction of the wood ceiling at Portland International Airport.
By the summer of 2024, construction will commence with the aim of completing the project within a timeframe of just over a year.
Woodling concluded, “We are really honoring the past as much as possible.”
The design and construction team also comprises Matthew Lillard from Baysinger Partners Architecture and Jackson Swanson of InterWorks LLC, supporting the vision for this unique Educational Pavilion.
image source from：orartswatch
