PCC Sylvania Habitat Team CWSP Grant 2012-2013
Part A: General Information
Project Title: PCC Sylvania and Sylvania Natural Area Park Restoration and Education Project
Project Coordinator Information:
Project Coordinator: April Ann Fong
Coordinator’s Organization: PCC Sylvania Habitat Restoration Team
Mailing Address: PCC Sylvania, PO Box 19000, Portland, OR 97280-0990
Phone: (971) 722-4422 (voice)
Email: afong@pcc.edu
Fiscal Agent Information:
Fiscal Agent (contact person): Sylvia Bogert
Fiscal Agent (organization): Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc. (SWNI)
Mailing Address: 7688 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219
Phone: (503) 823-4592
Email: sylvia@swni.org
Federal Tax ID#: 93-0717013
Amount requested from CWSP Grant: $7,700
Funding from other sources: $26,246
Total project cost: $33,946
Part B: Project Location
Watershed: Fanno Creek
Locations of project sites for addition to educational virtual tour and planting as noted in parentheses:
• Sylvania Campus - 12000 SW 49th Avenue, Portland, OR 97219
o Naturescaping from Native Plant Display Garden south to the Watershed Mural (new target area for
planting--see Photograph 1).
 North of Library & Performing Arts Center (PAC)
 Have already received separate grants from Hardy Plant Society of Oregon & PCC's Green Initiative
Fund
o North Upper Ball Creek (NUB) – Fangorn
 G Street, SW of SS & SCB buildings
 English Ivy, Himalayan Blackberries, Holly, Garlic Mustard
o Native Wildflower Propagation Area
 SW PCC Road, in between parking lots 13 & 11
o Native Plant Display Garden.
 North of Library & Performing Arts Center (PAC)
 Separate Grants from Hardy Plant Society of Oregon & PCC's Green Initiative Fund
• Sylvania Natural Area Park (SNAP)
o 11268 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, Oregon 97219.
o Two blocks north of campus
Photograph 1. An overhead view of the PCC Sylvania campus and Sylvania Natural Area Park (SNAP). We
have highlighted our restoration areas (Sylvania Natural Area Park and North Upper Ball Creek) and our
naturescaping locations including our new targeted area just north of the Performing Arts Center (PAC).
Photograph 2. East-facing view of the Targeted Area with the Watershed Mural on the right and the
Wildflower Display Garden site in the distance. Native plantings are planned in the far snow covered area from
the mural to the second far wall.
Photograph 3. South-facing view of the Targeted Area with the Wildflower Display Garden site beyond the
trees. Native plantings are planned from the walkway back to the Wildflower Display Garden site and west to
the mural.
Part C: Project Proposal
Section I: Project Summary
The PCC Sylvania Habitat Restoration Team (Habitat Team) works in areas that are part of the headwaters for the Fanno
Creek Watershed and that are home to diverse native flora and fauna, including Douglas fir, big leaf maple, white oak, red
alder, Oregon grape, sword fern, salal, snowberry, deer, coyote, and many resident and migratory birds.
The Habitat Team has worked on areas on campus and the surrounding neighborhood for over 16 years with thousands of
volunteer hours logged. This year 85 different volunteers at 4 work parties have put in over 255 hours and the core
student leader group has put in many hours planning the team's work. We have collaborated with PCC faculty, PCC
classes, neighbors, Boy Scout troops, Markham SUN School, Portland Parks & Recreation, and other community
members. Our goals are to restore and conserve the local ecosystem by removing invasive species, planting native plants,
and educating others about habitat restoration, sustainability, and the importance of intact biological communities. To this
end we have led over 97 work parties over the years, we have created interpretative signs, flyers, and brochures, we have
installed a wildflower propagation area as well as a rain garden, and we have everything in place to begin installation of a
Wildflower Display Garden this spring. We have worked with a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) course to begin
tracking the hours worked in each natural area and what work we have completed in each area.
We have worked with the PCC Facilities Management Services (FMS) to plan installation of a Wildflower Display
Garden this spring. This area surrounds the east side of the Performing Arts Center (PAC), which has experienced water
issues and damage, because of poor initial landscaping and planning for maintenance. FMS realizes that our garden plans
could alleviate some of the erosion and water issues for the buildings and the Campus President recognizes the potential
educational showpiece this garden that will be in a very prominent and well-traveled spot on our campus. We have
secured funds from the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon for this project and used previous CWSP funds to purchase plants
that we are now almost ready to install. In addition, we secured funding to collect educational information about this site
and previous sites (many partially funded by CWSP in the past) and we will create one of the campus' first virtual tours.
The tour would be accessible on a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or computer through an iGoogle map with many pins. The
team plans to provide location, content, photos, how to get involved, and other related information on a label that pops up
when you move over one of the pins. The pin will also lead to a web page (possibly a series of web pages depending on
the classes that provide content for a site) that provides more detailed information about that site.
As an educational institution, PCC is a role model by having alternative building construction (straw bale, cob, ecoroof,
etc.), watershed management features (rain gardens, tree wells*, stormwater planters*, curbside openings*, etc.), habitat
restoration (wildflower display garden*, native plant propagation area, restored areas, and areas in restoration), and so on.
Many of these features have been partially funded by CWSP, but did not include ways to disseminate information in a
sustainable way. We have created pamphlets that we then run out of and can't afford to make more of. We have put up
interpretative signs including two funded by PCC's The Green Initiative Fund 2011 program (TGIF), but the physical
educational components are only viewable if you are already in the location and know that this resource is present.
Building an iGoogle map would provide better access to this information for everyone interested in the campus. The final
product will be that when anyone looks at an online map of PCC Sylvania that they will be able to add a "layer" of
thematic pins, such as our sustainability/watershed sites, and see where each feature is located as well as more detailed
information about it. This database will be easily added to as new features are created, once the initial pieces are in place.
We have begun work with the PCC web team, who have already designed a model that we can follow. They have an
"Artwork Map" that will go live by Artbeat 2012 (http://www.pcc.edu/about/events/artbeat/2012/). Using their model, we
will include watershed features and sustainability efforts by the college and possibly other neighborhood projects, such as
Sylvania Natural Area Park (SNAP). Our team has already received a 2012 TGIF grant to provide funds to students to
help create content for the architectural, garden, and other sustainability features. We need more funds to complete the
effort and to work with different city bureaus, neighborhoods, PCC departments, etc. on creating a virtual tour that
provides a level of educational information that unifies messages from all of these sources in a useful, simple, and
accessible way.
Additionally we will connect our Wildflower Display Garden to the Watershed Mural with native plantings.
Naturescaping will reduce erosion and water issues that currently exist.
Section II: Community Partnerships
The Habitat Team was founded by April Ann Fong (Biology and Environmental Studies Instructor), John GwaltneyBeaumont (Grounds Foreperson), and students. April usually volunteers over 150 hours a year, manages the paperwork,
organizes team meetings and work parties, provides guidance to student leaders, and understands campus policy,
geography, and negotiation of the administrative avenues. John provides advice, assistance, and equipment. He also
understands campus policies, administrative avenues, and the geography. Student Leaders volunteer hundreds of hours
each year. They plan the work parties, provide leadership to one-day volunteers at work parties, collect donations, and
work on special projects, including the wildflower display garden, signage, GIS, brochures, and research projects.
We have collaborated with PCC faculty, PCC classes, neighbors, Boy Scout troops, Markham SUN School, Portland
Parks & Recreation, and other community members. Portland Community College has provided meeting spaces, storage
areas, tools, equipment, technology, and other services. In addition, PCC faculty and students are our main source of
volunteers. The Habitat Team is a community partner for the Service-Learning program where students directly apply
course material to solving community issues. The Habitat Team was also involved in the 2010 & 2011 City Repair’s
Village Building Convergence projects at PCC.
The Far Southwest Neighborhood Association (FSWNA) has been a strong supporter of the Habitat Team. Several
neighbors regularly participate in our work parties and give us positive feedback. Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc. has
served as our fiscal agent and has provided copying services, advertisement, etc. Boy Scout troops helped us build the
fence in SNAP and have participated in our work parties. Our team members have taught nature SUN School courses at
Markham Elementary. We also brought these students to SNAP to learn about weeds.
In the past we have also worked with the Bridlemile Creek Stewards, the Southwest Watershed Center, Eric Lindstrom
(Watershed activist and author), Wes Wong (a neighbor with a FISH grant), and Amanda Fritz (City Commissioner).
Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) have provided leadership in habitat restoration. They mentor and support our team's
work in Sylvania Natural Area Park (SNAP) as well as on campus, such as on No Ivy Days. Donors include April Ann
Fong, Baristadors, Fred Meyer, New Seasons Market, Pizzicato, Albertsons, Tigard Garden Club, Hoyt Arboretum,
Starbucks, Domino’s, A-Boy Hardware, and others. They have provided food and water, tools, and various supplies for
our work parties. We have also worked with Chinook Book for fundraising efforts, which has allowed our team to attend
scientific conferences and community meetings.
Through our new project we will be forging new relationships with PCC’s Web Team and the greater community who
access our iGoogle map. We will also grow our relationships with PCC’s Grounds Department and other academic
departments who also want to contribute content about these sustainability features.
Section III: Timeline
Quarter
Summer Break 2012
Fall Quarter 2012
Winter Quarter 2013
Spring Quarter 2013
Summer Break 2013
Activity
Work with the PCC Grounds Department to grow
and maintain the Wildflower Display Garden that
will be installed in Spring 2012. Obtain feedback
about initial educational virtual tour locations from
users and the PCC web team.
Recruit Habitat Team student leaders and faculty
from biology, environmental studies, and other
disciplines interested in contributing content for
current and new "sustainability" sites on our
educational virtual tour. Train student leaders and
run a minimum of 2 invasive species removal work
parties with one on "No Ivy Day." Have weekly
meetings.
Gather content for our educational virtual tour and
work with the PCC web team to make it go "live."
Run a minimum of 2 work parties, including a large
planting party in our new targeted area by the
Watershed Mural. Have weekly planning meetings.
Attend Urban Ecosystem Research Consortium
annual meeting. Present work to Hardy Plant
Society of Oregon at their annual meeting.
Run a minimum of 2 work parties in our work areas
as needed. Maintain and nurture the new
Wildflower Display Garden (WDG) and
Naturescaped Area between WDG and the
Watershed Mural. Test run of virtual educational
watershed/sustainability tour. Have weekly
meetings.
Maintain and nurture the new Wildflower Display
Garden (WDG) and Naturescaped Area between
WDG and the Watershed Mural. Make
improvements to the virtual educational
watershed/sustainability tour.
Section IV: Budget (1 page maximum)
CWSP Budget Form 2012-2013 (Part C Section IV)
Project Name:
Activity/ Expense
CWSP Funds
Matching
Comment
Totals
Materials & Supplies
Plants and Seeds
$3,500
$300
April Ann Fong has propagated
many native species.
PP&R provides abundant mulch.
GIS students need to record
numbers of volunteers, plants put
into the ground, species, and hours
worked in specific areas. PCC
offers ARCVIEW and other GIS
access.
Needed to take pictures and map
each Sustainability Station.
$3,800
$500
PP&R provides snacks. Fred
Meyer, New Seasons, and others
will donate to our work parties.
$700
$7,866
April Ann Fong volunteers
approximately 200 hours a year,
John Gwaltney-Beaumont and
PP&R staff also provide hours of
assistance (~30-50 total). Funding
was also obtained from the
Sylvania Green Initiative Fund.
Sustainability content developers
(students) are needed to gather
information for the Virtual
Sustainability Stations. Some
funding has been provided from
the Sylvania Green Initiative Fund.
SWNI, our fiscal agent, requires
10%.
Tuition reimbursement for
cooperative education/independent
study credit hours. Allotted 16
credit hours to be reimbursed.
$7,866
PCC Students, Staff, FSWNA and
friends volunteer their time
$12,000
$200
Mulch
$1,000
Tablet Personal
Computer
GPS-enabled pocket
camera
Refreshments ($200 max)
$200
Work Party Snacks
$580
$200
$1,000
$580
Staff/Professional Services ($3,000 max)
Project Coordinator
$860
$4,800
Contracted Services
Administrative Fees
$700
$1,440
Other (specify)
Volunteer Labor
Volunteer Labor
Total for Grant
Project
$12,000
CWSP Totals
$7,700
Matching
Totals
$26,246
$5,660
$700
$1,440
Project
Totals
$33,946
Part D: Letters of Support
(3 maximum)
1. The Far Southwest Neighborhood Association (Steve Beining, Sylvia Bogert)
2. Portland Community College (Linda Gerber)
3. Portland Parks & Recreation (James Allison)