NPS News Releases

This page will carry the posts about the Native Plant Sanctuary.

News Release (November 2024): Native Plant Sanctuary Dedication. A wonderful day at the Native Plant Sanctuary at Canby Community Park. Thank you to Ken Daniels and his staff of the City of Canby Parks Department, Canby Kiwanis Club, Canby High School, Tammy Baldwin, and Councilman Jason Padden, and Mayor Brian Hodson. We had about 60 community members come to the dedication. David Kleinke and his team of fantastic volunteers made magic happen here. Bravo to all the doers. Drop by for a visit soon. Canby. The garden spot.

“I was so thankful I could be there this morning to celebrate! I don’t think Canby truly knows what a gem this spot is (you won’t believe the walking path that goes with this park!). This is going to look amazing in the Spring.” – Mayor Brian Hodson

Councilman Jason Padden, Parks Supervisor Ken Daniels, Mayor Brian Hodson

News Release (October 2024): We will hold a short dedication ceremony for the Native Plant Sanctuary on Friday, October 25th at 10:30 am at Canby Community Park. We have had over 100 community members participate in restoring the sanctuary. Hundreds of hours were required to restore the sanctuary and now it’s time to celebrate.

The community is invited to come celebrate with us the re-opening of the Native Plant Sanctuary. Please come and meet the folks who restored the sanctuary and walk the trails and see all the native plants thriving. 

The poster attached to this posting was created by students at Canby High School. Over the coming school year these students will be creating educational signs and brochures for the sanctuary. We will also have another native planting this winter which the students will be leading. 

We hope you can join us. The sanctuary is next to the duck pond. SW Berg Parkway, Canby.

The Native Plant Sanctuary at the Canby Community Park, 1348 SW Berg Parkway, has received a boost of funding. According to Sanctuary chair, David Kleinke, the Canby Community Enhancement Grants Project awarded a $3500 grant to help develop the site.

“We also received a $1000 donation from our Canby Garden Club, and this was added to an initial $350 funding from the Canby Kiwanis,” Kleinke said.

Kleinke and his wife, Karen, moved to Canby from West Linn in 2022.

“The first thing we do in a new area is visit all the parks,” he added.

“The Canby Community Park had a sign signifying a native plant area.

It was overrun by nonnative blackberries.

I went to the Canby Parks Department and asked if it was o.k.

to start pulling the blackberries. They said O.K.”

Since 2023 Kleinke has rallied a small group of volunteers to pull weeds and purchase plants. In February over 50 community members helped dig and plant 154 native plants, many donated from local nurseries and the Canby Garden Club members.

“The new funding will help us mulch the plants, purchase some tools, develop educational signs and begin work on a permanent path through the sanctuary,” he added. “We are also flagging and marking each plant.”

Kleinke added the sanctuary is now under the umbrella of the Canby Garden Club and he is working with Liz Belz-Templeman a teacher at the Canby High School to integrate the Native Plant Sanctuary into the high school environmental and ecology curriculum. He is hoping local teachers will include the park in their field trip plans. According to the sign at the park the sanctuary was developed and maintained by the OSU Master Gardeners of Clackamas County, but the group is unclear when that work fell away.

“We would love to know the history of this area,” Kleinke said.

According to the Nation Audubon Society, restoring native plant habitat is vital to preserving biodiversity. By creating a native plant garden, each patch of habitat becomes part of a collective effort to nurture and sustain the living landscape for birds and other animals.

The City of Canby Parks department has helped with water sourcing, chips and logistics. “They have been terrific to work with,” Kleinke added.

“We recently had our first drop of mulch. It was a very warm morning.

Two of us were working from 7 a.m. At 11 a.m. a family visiting from Spokane, Wa. saw the work and offered to join in,” he said.

“By 12 noon we were all cleaned up.”

Watering and mulching continue every Tuesday from 9-12 noon.

Everyone is welcome.