Leach Back Five

Leach Botanical Garden was donated by the Leach Family to the City of Portland’s Parks and Recreation in 1980. The Leach Back Five project is first and foremost designed to provide educational and community science opportunities, with an emphasis on underserved youth and adults.

WHat happens in the Back Five?

Conservation and Education!

A lot is happening at Leach Back Five and we would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude. We are assessing and analyzing change. In year one, we’ve spent almost 3,000 person-hours out in the field: completing five plant transects to document existing vegetation, surveying for amphibians and creek macroinvertebrates, removing invasive plant species, and planting native ones in the first acre. We’ve also begun the creation of a large vernal pond to provide a breeding and rearing habitat for amphibians. We’ll repeat these steps over the next several years, adding adjacent acres until we’ve restored and monitored the entire site. All without the use of herbicides.

Why Leach Back Five is Made Possible

Funders, Supporters & Partners

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Local

Organizations Working Together

A coalition of stellar partners: Wisdom of the Elders, Inc, African Youth Community Organization, The Blueprint Foundation, David Douglas High School, Johnson Creek Watershed Council, and the along with help from experts at Portland Parks and Recreation, and many dedicated volunteers have been working diligently together on this multi-year project to restore the area.

Designed to provide educational and community science opportunities, with an emphasis on underserved youth and adults. In line with Leach Garden’s mission and values, the project’s goals are to

Introduce, guide, educate and train participants in the scientific method, multi-disciplinary thinking and analysis, the concept of ecosystems, the impacts of invasive vs. native species, and the restoration process.
Involve participants in creating and understanding the elements necessary to execute collaborative projects.
Nurture and train participants to become program mentors and educators for incoming youth.
Create awareness and connection to this significant, restorative greenspace in outer SE Portland.