By Andrine de la Rocha and Howard Patterson

The summer heat brought some challenges to the Grove this year and many plants were defeated by the Heat Dome event. Our Oregon White Oak in the meadow gave up the ghost, but we were able to reserve another from Friends of Trees that we will plant sometime this fall. (The remains of the old oak are being transformed into a piece of art inspired by an epic dream in the hands of resident Healing Artist, Andrine de la Rocha.)

All of the remaining trees have survived so far and in their third year seem to be flourishing, despite the heat. Some of our less established shrubs did not fare as well and we will likely replace them during the wet season to give them a good head start on next year. 

This summer we had a class from Boise Eliot Humboldt summer school visit daily to sketch and learn about the native plants; it was a joy to have them gracing us with their curiosity and wonder. We also had two enthusiastic neighbor volunteers, Kelly and Sarah, who approached us independently this summer and have been regularly visiting the Grove, weeding and keeping things tidy. They are doing an amazing job. We are ever grateful for our ongoing patrons and donors, who have sustained us financially, keeping us flush in compost, and repair supplies as we go. We still have many trees and shrubberies that you can adopt via Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/BoiseEliotNativeGrove), or send a one-time donation via PayPal (http://paypal.me/NativeGrovePDX). 

We have not planned any fall group events, as we are carefully watching the Coronavirus statistics, but we encourage you to follow us on Instagram (@BoiseEliotNativeGrove) and Facebook (BoiseEliotNativeGrove) for updates as opportunities unfold. As always, we hope you will walk through and visit as the leaves change color this season.

Andrine de la Rocha, Project Lead

Howard Patterson, Environmental Manager