Celebrate a learning opportunity at The Oregon Garden Rediscovery Forest

Celebrate a learning opportunity
at The Oregon Garden Rediscovery Forest

“Raise the Rafters” event is set for May 21

NEWS RELEASE

May 19, 2014

For immediate release

Contact: Dave Kvamme – 971-673-2948 / 503-706-1884

   Elizabeth Peters – 503-837-1802 / 503-250-2235

 PORTLAND, Ore. – In the spirit of a community barn-raising, The Oregon Garden Rediscovery Forest will raise the roof of its new Discovery Pavilion and celebrate the donors who are making it happen.

Jointly sponsored by the Oregon Forest Resources Institute and the Strategic Economic Development Corporation’s Construction Alliance, “Raise the Rafters” will happen from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., May 21 at The Oregon Garden in Silverton.

Members of SEDCOR’s Construction Alliance will work with teams of Silverton and Stayton high school students building the 1,300-square-foot, covered but open-air pavilion during the event. The structure is on schedule to be finished by fall. It will improve access for student field trips to the Rediscovery Forest, especially in the rainy months.

The Rediscovery Forest is a partnership of OFRI and The Oregon Garden. For the past 10 years, students, educators and forest landowners have visited to learn more about forests and the sustainable production of wood products in Oregon. In all, more than 1 million people have visited in the past decade.

“The donors deserve our heartfelt thanks,” says OFRI Executive Director Paul Barnum, “as do the companies who are investing sweat equity. The pavilion itself will be a showcase of Oregon wood products, and it will allow us to expand our work teaching Oregonians about their forests, all the benefits they provide, and how we manage and sustain them.”

Donors who have contributed $10,000 or more to the project so far are Seneca Sawmills ($20,000) and Cascade Timber Consulting, Northwest Farm Credit Services, Weyerhaeuser and Rich Duncan Construction ($10,000 each). The largest in-kind contributors are K & E Excavating and Withers Lumber.

For SEDCOR, the project underscores one of its key cluster industries: forestry and value-added wood products.

“This collaboration between our Construction Alliance and OFRI is about creating awareness within the next generation of workers that there is a wide array of good, sustainable jobs in both the construction and the forest and wood products sectors,” says Chad Freeman, SEDCOR president. “These young people will potentially be upcoming leaders of our mid-Willamette Valley companies; they’re critical to the economic health of our region.”

Northwest Natural is sponsoring the event.

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