Land
Stewardship
Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah works year-round to care for native habitats, maintain healthy ecosystems, and ensure the park remains a thriving place for wildlife and visitors.
What Makes Howard Buford
Recreation Area Special
Howard Buford Recreation Area is the largest park in the Lane County park system and one of the region’s most significant natural landscapes. Within its boundaries, visitors can experience an unusual diversity of habitats in one place — oak savanna, prairie, wetlands, and forest — all connected across a single, continuous landscape.
The park protects one of the largest remaining undivided prairie ecosystems in the southern Willamette Valley, a habitat that once covered much of the region but is now increasingly rare. This diversity supports native plants, wildlife, and pollinators while offering expansive views, seasonal wildflower blooms, and miles of accessible trails for the public to explore.
Together, these features make the park not only a beloved recreation destination, but an important ecological refuge and living landscape for the community.
The Place: Howard Buford Recreation Area
Howard Buford Recreation Area is the most visited park in Lane County, and one of the most ecologically complex. Within its roughly 2,300 acres, oak savanna, upland prairie, wet prairie, riparian floodplain, conifer forest, and buckbrush chaparral sit side by side. Very few parks anywhere offer that kind of habitat diversity in a single, connected landscape.
The park protects one of the largest remaining undivided prairie ecosystems in the southern Willamette Valley, a habitat that once covered much of the region but is now increasingly rare. This diversity supports native plants, wildlife, and pollinators while offering expansive views, seasonal wildflower blooms, and miles of accessible trails for the public to explore.
The park is also documented habitat for several rare and at-risk species, including Oregon Vesper Sparrow, Western pond turtle, Bradshaw's lomatium, and breeding populations of Great Blue Heron and Bald Eagle. It is an Oregon Important Bird Area. People come here to hike and run and watch the seasons change.
Together, these features make the park not only a beloved recreation destination, but an important ecological refuge and living landscape for the community.
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Learn more about the Habitat Management Plan here.
Why Stewardship Matters
As visitation grows and climate pressures increase, landscapes either receive active care or begin to fail. Stewardship maintains healthy soils and native plant communities that protect drinking water, reduce wildfire fuel buildup, and keep natural areas resilient to human impact.
This work safeguards community stability and quality of life by preventing costly environmental and public safety problems before they happen.
How We Work
We take a collaborative, science-informed approach to caring for the park. By working alongside land managers, field experts, and community partners, we balance ecological health, recreation access, and realistic long-term management.
Stewardship at this scale is only possible through community support. Donations, volunteer efforts, and grant funding together make the ongoing care of the park possible.
At Howard Buford Recreation Area, we are one of many partners helping steward the land. The park is owned and managed by Lane County, and our role is to support restoration and stewardship work there in collaboration with partners including Mount Pisgah Arboretum, Lane County Parks, Equestrian Friends of Mt. Pisgah, Tribal partners, and other community stakeholders. In this sense, we act as guest stewards, working collectively to care for the landscape.
In addition to our work within Howard Buford Recreation Area, Friends also stewards Turtle Flats and Sorenson Conservation Area — protected conservation lands within the Greater Mt. Pisgah Area that are not open to the public and are not owned by Lane County. Our team also collaborates with regional partners on prescribed fire and ecological restoration efforts throughout the greater Eugene–Springfield area.
At Howard Buford Recreation Area, stewardship keeps trails safe and accessible for more than 600,000 visitors each year, protects clean water, reduces wildfire risk for nearby neighborhoods, and lowers long-term public maintenance costs. It also protects the plants and wildlife that call this landscape home.
The benefits extend far beyond park boundaries — healthy land supports downstream water quality, nearby homes, and the overall livability of our region.
Our Approach
We take a collaborative, science-informed approach to caring for the park. By working alongside land managers, field experts, and community partners, we balance ecological health, recreation access, and realistic long-term management.
Stewardship at this scale is only possible through community support. Donations, volunteer efforts, and grant funding together make the ongoing care of the park possible.
What Land Stewardship
looks like in action
Stewardship happens in many forms throughout the year. Volunteers and staff plant native species, remove invasive plants, repair trails, and care for sensitive habitats. These ongoing efforts help restore ecological balance while keeping the park safe and welcoming for visitors.
Native Plant Propagation
Erosion Control
Invasive Species Removal
Trail Maintenance
Prairie & Oak Habitat Care
Habitat Monitoring
Wetland & Riparian Restoration
Prescribed Burns
Our Native Plant Nursery
The nursery is where stewardship begins. We grow native plants from locally collected seed, producing species adapted to this climate and resilient in restoration areas.
These plants restore habitat, support wildlife, and provide seed that we harvest to create native seed mixes for restoration projects. Volunteers help sow, care for, and plant them, making the nursery both a conservation effort and a hands-on learning experience.
Community Stewardship
Friends Partners in caring for howard buford park & Mt. Pisgah
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Lane County Parks
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More partners
