WEEK 4: EASTERN GORGE AND LAND CONSERVANCIES

Our friends at Cnoc Outdoors have pledged to match the first $2500 that we raise this week, dollar-for-dollar. Help us reach our goal while your donation goes twice as far!

Folks who donate $50 or more will be entered to win a set of top-of-the-line trekking poles from Cnoc.

DONATE

Can’t give $? Participate in any TKO volunteer event this week, and you’ll be entered to win too!

Volunteer with TKO

New views with old friends

Through out TKO’s history, we’ve found that one of the most symbiotic relationships we can develop is through helping land conservation partners with their trails management. Whether it be The Nature Conservancy, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, North Coast Land Conservancy or Lower Nehalem Community Trust – we can help one another in protecting our public access lands through partnering and doing what we each do best.

Mt Ulka sits above the Discovery Center, provides terrific views down the Columbia River towards Rowena Plateau, and is otherwise closed to the public. TKO is supporting the Friends’ efforts to protect land and advance trail connections between Mosier and The Dalles for Friends’ Gorge Towns to Trails initiative. In the spring of 2021, TKO first visited the site with Friends’ staff to think through how to build a trail from the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center to the top of Mt. Ulka. Over the course of this year, we’ve assisted the Friends in developing a viable route, proposing a grading plan and we now await our approvals to break ground in 2022!

And here lies a recipe for success: TKO can be a useful trail design, development and maintenance partner for land conservancies. They focus on what they do best, relying on our collective interest in protecting and enhancing the Oregon hiking experience.

BY THE NUMBERS:

COLUMBIA GORGE TRAILS

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Feet of Trails Improved

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Stewardship Events

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Volunteer Participants

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In Kind Value of Volunteer Time

BETTER TOGETHER

Places like Mosier and Rowena are only available to the public thanks to the tireless work of the Friends of the Columbia Gorge, and The Nature Conservancy. Their role as land trusts ensures that these precious habitats will remain protected for every generation in the future. TKO’s role as trail steward ensures that the trails you use to hike these wonderful areas are sustainable, low impact and consistently maintained. You can support these partnerships and continued access to protected lands by donating today!

Join the Legacy

EAST COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE

Mosier Plateau and Rowen Crest are two of the gems of the eastern Gorge. Right on the edge of the Cascade’s rain-shadow, these classic scrub oak hikes host spectacular wildflowers in the spring and offer a chance at sunshine when all else is covered in clouds during the winter. With breathtaking views along every part of the trail, these special places see heavier traffic every year. We are committed to ensuring that the trails every visitor leaves their boot prints on are maintained and sustained in a way that can support their use. This will ensure that even as these treasures are discovered, the habitat around them remains protected.

Join the Legacy

Latest News

Trail Ambassadors are getting ready to launch!

By Loren Payne

Spring is quickly approaching! That means before we know it, Trailkeepers of Oregon will be kicking off another Trail Ambassador season. Through partnerships with the U.S. Forest Service, Oregon State Parks, the Mt. Hood – Columbia River Gorge Tourism Alliance, The Nature Conservancy, and Friends of the Columbia River Gorge, Trail Ambassadors will take to trails beginning April 22nd to engage with trail users across the state. We are always looking to grow our team – if you’ve been looking to give back to the trails you love, we want you on board!

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@ by Natalie Ferraro

Family Friendly Events are Back!

An adult holds a fern while a child uses lopper to cut it at the base.

Join TKO on the last Sunday of each month to learn all about trail stewardship!

By Natalie Ferraro

Trailkeepers is excited to once again be offering Family Friendly trail parties for 2023. These events are a chance for kids of all ages to learn some of the basics of trail stewardship, spend quality time with family and friends outdoors, and learn the value of taking care of a place they love. We think our Family Friendly trail parties are some of the best fun you can have on a Sunday, but you don’t have to take our world for it. We asked TKO volunteer Jon and his son Liam to share why they love volunteering with TKO. […]

@ by Natalie Ferraro

Safety, Fun, Service – becoming a TKO Crew Leader

A close up of two faces. One person wears a blue jacket and a yellow hat, the other wears a yellow jacket and an orange hat. They both have dirt on their faces and are smiling.

Being a Crew Leader with TKO is rewarding work and comes with a fun and supportive community that can’t wait to welcome you!

by Elaine Keavney and Loren Payne

So you’ve earned your green hat, and are getting “hooked” on trail stewardship.  As you get to know your crew leaders, do you find yourself wondering whether leading a crew would be something you would enjoy? Read on for some information about leading crews, and what you need to do if you would like to become a TKO crew leader!

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@ by Natalie Ferraro
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