I left Idaho in a snow storm, hit the mountain passes packed with ice, met fierce winds in the high country, drove in heavy rain along the Columbia River, was hailed on outside Portland, and arrived in warm sunshine at Eugene. Oregon's weather is as diverse as its landscape. A beautiful state with something for everyone.

Of course, like many of the Northwestern States, I am told that they have too many people already. So, if you believe this is true, go there to vacation only and leave the area to the incumbent residents. The only problem is that once you get there, I think you will find it hard to leave. It really is that enchanting.

A large part of the charm is the people, and with the people, the things that they are interested in. One area of interest is their love for the environment. Not to say that everyone in the state is a tree-hugger, but I can see why so many are. If your neck of the woods looked like the Oregon Territory, I have a feeling you would be more inclined to take an active roll in preserving nature. With that said, I made it a point to try and volunteer with an environmental group while being in the state.

I found exactly what I was looking for when I came across the Friends of Buford Park & Mount Pisgah. The park and peak combine for almost 2,400 acres and is the largest recreational area in the county attracting over 100,000 visitors annually. Friends of Buford Park & Mount Pisgah have been instrumental in:

• propagating over 80 native species in our native plant nursery;

• restoring flows to floodplain side channels that had been blocked by human obstructions, such as road fill and an Army Corps of Engineers levee;

• creating seasonal backwater habitat to benefit salmonids and other aquatic species;

• planting 70 floodplain acres with native trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers; and

• facilitating prescribed burns and native seeding on 30 acres of prairie and oak savanna. (All stats from Friends of Buford Park & Mount Pisgah's website.)

I showed up to the park on a foggy Wednesday morning and was introduced to Hal and Val. Hal is one of the stewardship assistants and Val is the volunteer coordinator. Both do a lot of hands on work in the park and are instructors and cheerleaders to the groups and individuals who give of their time. They are passionate people who love the land and both have an infectious optimistic spirit.

The first task I was assigned to was creating starter trays of grass seedlings in the greenhouse. I mixed the mulch and soils in 3/2 proportions, packed the mix into the individual trays, made indentations in the soil, planted the seeds, and then covered and stacked the trays. I made it through a dozen forty-count trays before being asked to do some work in the nursery. I handed over the remainder of my mulch mix to another volunteer (who, by the way, was terrific to work with) and headed outside to organize the Native Species Nursery where I spent the remainder of the morning.

I went back to my residence to shower and prep for my evening volunteer work but told Hal that I would be happy to come back on Friday to help out in any capacity. We exchanged info, talked about Thanksgiving Day plans, and then said goodbye.

I came back on Friday after lunch and suited up with boots, gloves, and gutter-style clothes. The weather on Thanksgiving Day and on Friday morning was a mixture of varying rain conditions. This, of course, made the ground nice and muddy which is tons of fun to work in. Hal and I headed for the floodplain where they just finished digging the trenches for the river to back flow into, creating a habitat for a variety of native species like turtles and frogs. There were some fence lines and drift fences that needed to be pulled up, so we loaded up the ATV and spent the remainder of the day pulling posts

I was able to gain a valuable perspective from those I worked with. I love the idea that they partner with the county to help manage the area and are set on having that beautiful environment for generations to come. Think about a place in your community where you can partner up with businesses or the local government to help preserve your community's resources. If you live around the Eugene area, why not visit the Friends of Buford Park & Mount Pisgah's website to see where you can get involved. Then contact with Val to get connected.

Another great charity I was introduced to was the Family Bridge Day Shelter which is located in Hillsboro, a suburb of Portland. They “serve homeless families with children by providing them shelter, meals, help and hope so that they may achieve stability and self-sufficiency.” They have an excellent resource on their website to help you get a better idea of what homelessness looks like in the Portland area.

One of the areas where people can get involved is by serving a meal to the families who use the shelter. I was asked to bring a bottle of apple juice and a jar of apple sauce for everyone to enjoy. I picked up my items at the local grocery store and headed for Portland. I left around 2:00pm with intentions of stopping for a cup of coffee and then running a few errands before serving dinner at the shelter at 6:00pm, unfortunately, what was suppose to be an hour and a half trip stretched itself into a four hour marathon thanks to a series of car accidents on the interstate. (three in a sixty mile stretch + inadequate traffic lanes = disaster)

I arrived at the house a few minutes after six and was greeted by the friendly smiles of a kitchen full of volunteers. They were making a huge feast for the residence which consisted of ham, sweet potatoes, green beans, cupcakes, and of course...apple sauce! I found out about the shelters inner workings and differences between them and rescue missions.

A day shelter is a place where the families can go to get off the street during the daytime. The house is fully furnished and accommodates up to three families. At night, the families go to one of many churches who provide them with a place to stay for the week. A family can stay for up to six weeks while they find employment, housing, and other help to get them back on their feet.

The plan was to have three families there for dinner, but since it was the day before Thanksgiving, two of the families were out of the house. I really enjoyed hearing the stories of the volunteers, about their involvement in the ministry, and hearing from the family about their struggles and triumphs. There are a lot of good people out there who are going through some very tough times right now. Whether their circumstances where a result of a bad choice or by natural catastrophe, they all need people who will come alongside them give them a helping hand. Find a way to serve families in your area. The benefits far outweigh any burden you might have to carry.

I was very fortunate to have such great care while in Oregon. I stayed with a friend who I met a few years back while working in Iowa and now I consider her to be my Northwestern grandmother. A warm house, lots of food, a great hiking partner, and one of the best conversationalist around – Keif is one-of-a-kind! Thanks Keif!!

Off to Washington!