Everyone is Invited!
The new Forestry and Natural Resources Outreach Center will be dedicated during an open house event on Sunday, April 2 at the Hopkins Demonstration Forest. The open house is from 2:00 to 4:00pm with a public dedication for the Center at 3:00pm. Everyone is invited.
The construction for the Center began in January 2022 with groundbreaking, site excavation, and pouring of the concrete for the foundation. Framing the building followed in the spring and summer. The Center was weather-tight by Labor Day when work began on the interior activities including plumbing, electrical, and all of the finish work including the custom-made cabinetry.
According to Ken Everett, Forests Forever’s Executive Director and coordinator for the project, “The Center’s construction has really progressed very nicely. We’ve had great contractors who have kept the project going. And, we have had fantastic volunteer contributions. Our main contractor worked with us to allow the volunteers to do as much work as possible to help keep the costs down.”
Forests Forever volunteers, led by Pete Wille, Oregon City, helped with framing walls, installing the metal roofing, milling and installing all of the cedar siding boards and battens for the exterior of the building, installing windows, plus designing, building, and installing all of the cabinetry in the Center.
The Open House will be an opportunity to tour the building’s overnight rooms, conference room, and residential side of the Center that will house the new Caretaker for the demonstration forest.