Identifying invasive plants on the trails. by Emily Wiederkehr Rothschild and Phyllis Chinlund THERE’S BEEN A LOT of recent buzz around invasive plants. In December, the State of Maine approved regulations to ban the commercial sale of 33 species of common invasive plants. These regulations beg the questions: What is an invasive species, and why…
People powered commuting gets locals from here to there with lots of benefits along the way. by Tom Tero According to city-data.com, over 30,000 people commute into Portland every weekday, a number that has grown significantly in the last two decades. As the pie chart from the same site shows, the vast majority of commuters are…
Portland Trails scavenger hunt inspires people to explore the “city at your feet” by Emily Wiederkehr Rothschild You’ve been hearing a lot about East Bayside from us, thanks to last year’s $75,000 Jane’s Trust grant which funded placemaking work in the neighborhood. July’s City at Your Feet Scavenger Hunt is an example of one of…
by Tom Tero If it seems like there are more mountain bikers than ever on the trails, you’re not imagining things. Mountain biking has hit a peak of popularity that shows no signs of slowing down. I spoke with Chris Carleton, owner of Allspeed Cyclery & Snow and enthusiastic supporter of Portland Trails, and he exclaimed,…
From a few ideas brewing at a kitchen table to 70 miles of trails and green space that you can walk,bike, or play on every day–the Portland Trails network has become one of the most distinctive features in our city. It’s hard to imagine Portland without the trails. So let’s roll back the clock and…
by Laura Newman, School Ground Greening Coordinator & Founder The School Ground Greening Coalition hears this question a lot: What is placemaking? To answer it, let us first ask you: What connects you to your favorite places around Portland? Do you love hunting for veggies at the farmer’s market in Deering Oaks? Picnicking on the…