Park seeks to create outdoor classroom setting

A new nature park is scheduled to open this month right around the corner from the MHCC Gresham campus.

The 5-acre park, officially named College Nature Park at Beaver Creek, stretches east of the campus to Troutdale Road, between Stark and Cochran streets.

“The park will provide easier access to the wetlands of Beaver Creek and continue to serve as an outdoor classroom for environmental classes (at MHCC),” said Rich Faith, community development director for Troutdale.

New developments include two trailheads on Troutdale Road – one at Stark Street and one at Southeast 34th Circle – that connect to a short trail leading to benches, a picnic area and an observation wall overlooking the wetlands. Most of the land in the park will be protected and restored as natural wetlands.

The property is part of a 62-acre site sold by the MHCC District board to Metro Regional Government in 2004, but is being developed and will be maintained by the city of Troutdale.

The $450,000 cost to develop the park was funded by voter-approved natural areas bond measures in 1995 and 2006, a grant from Oregon Parks and Recreation and an improvement fund from the city of Troutdale.

The bond measures were passed as a way to protect water quality, wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation opportunities for future generations.

Faith said there are no plans to extend trails further into the wetlands or through the park toward MHCC. Addition of the observation areas at the nature park is meant to protect and restore natural areas and to discourage people from hiking directly into the wetlands.