Newsletter | October 2026
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We appreciate the 150 volunteers who helped us care for parks and natural areas in September! Fall means that we can start planting trees and native plants again, and there are many fun planting events happening in the coming weeks. Check out the upcoming events listed below to find an opportunity that fits your schedule and interests.
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Gloves, tools, water, snacks and instruction are provided at each event. No prior experience is necessary! Most events include some amount of physical work. Use the registration links provided in each event description to learn more about specific types of projects happening at each event.
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Adopt-A-Park at St. Helens Park
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Saturday, October 10
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Join your neighbors to help care for the trees and landscape beds at St. Helens Park.
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Adopt-A-Park at Behrens Woods
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Saturday, October 17
9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Join your neighbors to remove invasive plants from the natural area at Behrens Woods Park.
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Adopt-A-Park at
LeRoy Haagen
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Saturday, October 24
10 a.m. to noon
Join your neighbors to remove invasive plants from the natural area at LeRoy Haagen Park.
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Make a Difference Day at
the Water Center
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Saturday, October 24
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Join the Water Center and co-sponsor Clark Public Utilities as we work together to restore 3.6 acres of wetlands! Volunteers will plant native trees and shrubs to create healthy habitat for birds, mammals, pollinators, and macroinvertebrates, while supporting clean, healthy waterways.
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Adopt-A-Park Ellsworth Springs East Urban Natural Area
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Saturday, October 31
10 a.m. to noon
Join your neighbors to help remove ivy from Ellsworth Springs East Urban Natural Area. This event will clear space for a native planting project on November 7!
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Adopt-A-Park at Behrens Woods, Ivy removal and tree planting
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Saturday, October 31
9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Join your neighbors to remove invasive plants from the natural area at Behrens Woods Park. We’ll be removing ivy to improve the health of the forest, and we’ll also plant a few trees!
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Adopt-A-Park Ellsworth Springs East Urban Natural Area, Native planting
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Saturday, November 7
1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Join your neighbors to help plant over 700 native plants in the Ellsworth Springs East Urban Natural Area!
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Adopt-A-Park Esther Short Park
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Saturday, November 7
9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Join members of the City of Vancouver’s Adopt-A-Park program and the Vancouver Downtown Association to take care of Esther Short Park by picking up litter and cleaning areas throughout the park.
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Vancouver's award-winning Naturespaces initiative is transforming underutilized public spaces into thriving, climate-adapted native pollinator habitats through exceptional cross-collaborative teamwork and community stewardship. Honored nationally with the 2026 ICMA Community Sustainability Award, the program exemplifies City values by advancing environmental sustainability and resilience, driving innovation with creative landscape solutions, and fostering trust through deep community engagement.
Link to the 2026 Community Sustainability Award: City of Vancouver, WA | icma.org.
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Weeding at Grandmother Camus Naturespace
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Sunday, October 4
9 a.m. to noon
Join Vancouver Bee Project at the Grandmother Camus site at Q Street and St. Johns in Vancouver. We’ll spend the morning weeding and cleaning up this special community space.
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Native Plant and Seed Library
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Saturday, October 10
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Join the Vancouver Bee Project at the 2026 Native Plant & Seed Library.
Stop by to pick up free native plants, seeds, and resources to help create habitat for native bees and other pollinators in your yard, patio, school, or community. Whether you're new to native plants or already growing a pollinator garden, everyone is welcome!
Help us put science into action and grow more native habitat throughout our community. Plants and seeds are available while supplies last.
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Clearmeadows Park Naturespace Planting
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Friday, October 30
3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Help us plant 400 native plants to support pollinators and wildlife, and add beauty to the park. This is a great opportunity to learn more about native plant habitat. No prior planting experience necessary!
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Saturday, October 3
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Join the City's Urban Forestry department and community partners to celebrate the Old Apple Tree!
This free event features food, music, kids activities, cider pressing, and the chance to take home cuttings of the Old Apple Tree. Vancouver Bee Project will also have their Native Plant and Seed Library set up at this event.
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Vancouver Yard Tree Giveaway
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Saturday, October 24
Pick up a free tree for your yard from the Yard Tree Giveaway!
Vancouver Urban Forestry is offering free trees to Vancouver residents to plant in your yard this fall. The free yard trees are available on a first-come, first-served basis through a pre-registration process. There are ten species to choose from, including west coast natives, flowering, fall color, and drought tolerant options. Limit of two trees per property.
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Park Hill Cemetery Tree Planting
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Thursday, October 29
10 a.m. to noon
Join the City of Vancouver’s Urban Forestry Department and neighbors for a morning of planting new trees throughout the cemetery.
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Shaffer Stormwater Site Tree Planting
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Saturday, November 7
10 a.m. to noon
Join the City of Vancouver’s Urban Forestry Department and neighbors for a morning of planting new trees throughout this large stormwater site.
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415 W. 6th St. | Vancouver, WA 98660 US
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