Planning and conservation › Natural areas, parks and trails › Restoration › Restoration highlights › Restoring Graham Oaks
Learn about Metro's effort to restore oak woodland habitat at the Graham Oaks natural area near Wilsonville. View a video about the project.
A sea of plastic tubes is starting to dominate the landscape of the Graham Oaks natural area near Wilsonville. Over the years Metro, the city, the West Linn-Wilsonville school district, community partners and citizens have worked together to improve the area's wildlife habitat and plan for its future. In December 2007, 135 acres of wheat and clover were replanted with native grasses and wildflowers. In winter 2008, Metro planted 150,000 trees and shrubs that were historically found throughout the Willamette Valley – including thousands of Oregon white oak trees. The project will restore historic landscapes and create rare wildlife habitat.
All the new plantings are being marked with bamboo stakes, plastic mesh or pale blue, solid tubes. The plastic mesh discourages browsing by deer. The large blue tubes help the fragile and slow-growing oaks. Stakes and tubes will be the area's most conspicuous features until the plants outgrow them and the supports are removed. It is essential that the tubes and stakes remain in place to support these growing plants.
Find out more about the future Graham Oaks Nature Park by reading the master plan, which includes details about the site's history and future... More
This 2-minute video shows what it looks like when you create rare habitat at a large scale and features Metro's science and stewardship staff describing the future of these rare Oregon white oaks.
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Natural Areas Program
503-797-1545
naturalareas@oregonmetro.gov
Review the master plan that will guide development and management of the Graham Oaks natural area in Wilsonville.
Learn about the goals and objectives for habitat and water quality protection in the Tonquin Geologic Area target area. View maps illustrating the Metro Council's priorities in this area and learn more about the importance of the area to our region.
