About Us

Mission
Our mission is to nurture and restore our connection to nature.

The Friends believe that people and nature are intertwined. We’re a self-funded non-profit of nearly 1,000 members and volunteers investing our time, talent, and money so people and nature can thrive together in the greater Mt. Pisgah area.

We partner with Lane County Parks, Mount Pisgah Arboretum, The Nature Conservancy, Oregon State Parks, and other area landowners to enhance native habitat, improve trails, and involve volunteers in caring for the land.

Since our founding in 1989, the Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah have raised and invested millions of dollars in cash and volunteer contributions for habitat and trail improvements. We also explore Pisgah’s hidden treasures on guided tours and advocate for land protection regionally, such as the 1,300 acre Willamette Confluence Preserve next to Buford Park now owned by The Nature Conservancy.

What’s the difference between Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah and Mount Pisgah Arboretum? Please see our latest news.
What have operated as two separate non-profits to serve the public at Howard Buford Recreation Area, Mount Pisgah Arboretum (the Arboretum) is a 209-acre nature education center. We (the Friends) have worked outside the Arboretum to steward public and private lands throughout the 4,700-acre greater Mt. Pisgah area.

The visitor hub for the park's west side lowland and river area, the Arboretum enriches lives and community by growing understanding and appreciation of trees and showcasing regional ecology on its intensely managed site. Thousands of children and adults explore nature through educational programs on the Arboretum’s seven miles of family-friendly trails.

The Friends nurture and restore our connection to nature through native ecosystems and compatible recreation, foster community stewardship of natural areas, improve and maintain recreational trails, grow native plants for habitat restoration, and work to bring more lands in the greater Mt. Pisgah area into conservation status.

Together, the two groups have enhanced and continue to maintain the ecological and recreational qualities for which the Mt. Pisgah area is known. The Arboretum’s education mission and the Friends’ stewardship and recreation mission are complementary and together provide a wide range of opportunities to learn about, care for, and enjoy nature.


Why can’t Lane County take care of Buford Park?
Lane County Parks has only 70 recreational sites across the county and limited staffing to manage them. Lane County continues to face budgetary limitations and depends on the staff and volunteers provided by both the Friends of Buford Park & Mt Pisgah and the Mt. Pisgah Arboretum to help care for and enhance the park’s habitats, trails, and visitor experience.