1% for the Planet: Portland Botanical Gardens
Conceptual rendering of wildflower meadow and visitors*
On Earth Day, 2024, The Portland Botanical Gardens (PBG) secured an option to purchase the 59-acre McCormick & Baxter Superfund Site at 6900 N. Edgewater Road in North Portland.
(Source: https://portlandbg.org/pbg-story/)
What it means to be a 1% for planet business
The 1% for the Planet organization is creating a huge impact on local communities, and the world at large, by creating a platform for businesses to donate 1% of their annual gross sales to certified environmental organizations. Their purpose is to “inspire commitment and action so that our planet and future generations thrive,” with the mission to “accelerate smart environmental giving and prevent greenwashing.”
(Source: https://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/about/mission)
So far, the organization has accumulated over $728 million in revenue directly benefiting approved environmental organizations. It began with the intention to hold businesses accountable for their impact on the environment and use of natural resources, by giving back to organizations who are actively working towards restoring these resources.
Portland Botanical Garden’s intriguing backstory
The PBG is attempting to turn the McCormick & Baxter property on the historic Willamette river waterfront, which has been polluted and virtually unusable for many years, into a multi-million dollar botanical garden and educational attraction for the city. The land was owned for many years by the family business, and created tons of polluted soil in the 20th century.
Due to the site's interesting and sad history, it has sat unusable for years in an underserved community of North Portland, along the northwest bank of the Willamette River. Fast forward to around 2010; The son of this multigenerational business family made significant efforts to restore the land and the pollution accumulated from their factories over the years.
And although it was a significant effort, more development and restoration still needs to be done before the land is healthy and usable again for the public. Once the PBG raises enough money to buy the land, they will make another huge push to make the site not only de-polluted and usable, but totally sustainable for an abundance of plant species to thrive when they start implementing gardens and buildings.
They will do this by placing a protective cashing over the polluted soil, creating an airtight, impenetrable barrier between the old and new soil, and then adding about 10 feet of fresh soil on top of this barrier, with garden beds on top. This action will keep the polluted, unusable soil buried and protected, rather than spending tons of energy and landfill space trying to move it elsewhere. Ultimately, this regeneration of the soil will create a “new life” for the site, as the PBG moves forward in its planning and building efforts to seal a new story into the land.
M&B Site seen from University of Portland bluff*
About Portland Botanical Gardens
The Portland Botanical Gardens was founded in 2010 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, made up of some of the city’s best planners, plant people, and visionaries. Their mission is to “bring plants and people together and provide an immersive space for knowledge, community, and collaboration.”
Their larger vision includes to “create a preeminent public garden with Oregon’s first conservatory, the state’s largest collection of native plants, and its most comprehensive vocational & research program in climate resilience, plant habitats and appropriate horticulture, all within a living laboratory.”
(Source: https://portlandbg.org/about-us/mission/)
Plant habitation, funding and research on this scale is truly monumental, as much of our city’s spending goes towards urbanization, technology, and big business structures.
Initial conceptual schematic*
How PBG will support underserved communities & local Portlanders
Building the gardens and restoring the land will free up a large section of historic waterfront, so that pedestrians and bikers can enjoy a neighborhood greenway that has been blocked off for years. It also gives the area a new opportunity to flourish with flora and fauna for the first time in many years.
This district of North Portland is a traditionally underserved area, and restoring greenways and connecting plants with people will undoubtedly create positive ripple effects on the neighborhood. It will also bring in new opportunities for jobs, research, and education which also positively impacts the community.
In addition to restoring the land itself, the PBG will be an accessible, educational hub on a wide variety of plant species. The Gardens will be open to the public as well as work with schools to create education programming for students to learn more about plant life in the Pacific Northwest.
Vehicle Mushroom’s role and contribution
William Bours, the co-owner of Vehicle Mushrooms, has a close relationship with the Portland Botanical Gardens project, and serves on their committee as treasurer. This symbiotic relationship has bloomed, and as a result, Vehicle Mushrooms donates 1% of its annual revenue to the PBG, which is an approved environmental partner of the 1% for the Planet organization.
Being a grassroots, locally-owned and operated Portland company means that we are actively engaged with our community on a daily basis, and want to see it flourish and grow with us. We truly believe in the work that the Portland Botanical Gardens is doing for Portland’s culture and environment. We are dedicated to supporting the project both through internal committee service, as well as financially through our annual financial contribution.
If you’d like to learn more about either of these organizations, you can go to their websites, or feel free to email us with any questions or comments at hello@vehiclechocolates.com.
1% for the Planet: https://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/
Portland Botanical Gardens: https://portlandbg.org/
*All images belong to the Portland Botanical Gardens, and they own the rights to these images.
Written by Amber Marie