‘Tree Stories’: Portland Parks & Rec to host Urban Forestry Tree Summit

Published 2:01 pm Monday, March 17, 2025

It’s time to branch out and talk trees. 

From 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 5, Portland Parks & Recreation  Urban Forestry is hosting its 2025 Tree Summit called all about “Tree Stories,” at the St. Johns Community Center Auditorium, 8427 N. Central. St., Portland.

This free event is open to the public for a chance to increase education and awareness for the importance of the urban forest. It will feature a morning full of presentations, including New York Times best-selling author Amy Stewart, speaking about her recent book “The Tree Collectors,” a collection of stories about people who have been transformed by their passion for trees. 

David Hedberg, of Outdoor History Consulting, Ryan Gilpin, of Nidus Consulting and Thomas Meinzen, of Vanport Placemaking Project, will present their research on locating trees that may have survived the Vanport flood in 1948. 

PP&R Urban Forestry will share findings from the Street Tree Inventory Project and demonstrate an interactive Street Tree map and tree data dashboard. 

A social hour will follow for people to talk with community partners and learn more about work being done to expand and care for the urban forest. 

Refreshments will be served. Interpretive services are available.

According to PP&R, Portland’s urban forest consists of 220,000 street trees, 1.2 million park trees, and nearly 3 million private property trees. PP&R Urban Forestry is involved in managing or regulating all of these trees to differing degrees. Its staff issue permits for planting, pruning and removal of all public and some private trees. They are on call all hours of the day to respond to tree emergencies.

To register, visit tinyurl.com/yxd8287t.