Willamette University’s OakFest includes collaboration with Tribe

SALEM -- Willamette University's student-led Growing Oaks project will host its annual OakFest Thursday, Oct. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 4, with four days of events in Salem and Grand Ronde celebrating Oregon white oak.

The event aims to celebrate, protect and restore critically endangered oak savanna landscapes while connecting communities to local oak stewardship.

Now in its fifth year, Growing Oaks has logged more than 500 volunteer hours at the Grand Ronde Native Plant Nursery, collected thousands of acorns from around Salem and germinated them at roughly 80 percent success, partnered with the wine industry's LIVE certification program to restore oaks on vineyard land and weighed in on Salem's tree code and the fate of legacy oaks across the city.

Events include the following:

• First Foods, Friends & Family: 5-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct 1, in the Willamette University Martha Springer Botanical Garden. It will include a farm-to-table style first foods meal. Students and community members will speak, officially opening the festival.
• Commemorative oak planting: 8-9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2 at the Willamette University Lestle J. Sparks Center. The planting of a mature tree will help replace the oak removed in 2023.
• Common Ground Conversations: 3-6 p.m. Friday, Oct 2 at the Willamette University community garden. Students will gather at this community garden open house to mingle with clubs, help beautify the garden space, learn about the projects underway and participate in activities and a guest lecture.
• The Natural Resources Department of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Native Plant Nursery: 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct 3. Willamette students, staff, faculty and supporters will visit the Native Plant Nursery in Grand Ronde to learn about Tribal stewardship by supporting efforts to grow and teach about native plants. All are welcome. Activities will include a native plant walk, harvesting First Foods, learning about the land, plant cultivation, ethnobotanical usages and being in community while cultivating and conversing about native plants, ecology and First Foods. Willamette’s Food Justice Colloquium will be in attendance.
• Nuthatch Neighborhoods: 9-11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 4. The guided walk will be held at Bush Park in Salem. Attendees will learn more about urban oaks, camas patches and local birds.
• An Evening Among Oaks: 2-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4 at Van Duzer Vineyards in Salem. The closing event and mixer will feature guest speakers, information about conservation on the Van Duzer property, acorn collecting among legacy oaks and live music.

For more information and to RSVP, visit growing-oaks.wixsite.com/my-site-4/about-3.