Tsuru Island
GRESHAM JAPANESE GARDENA New Website
As the garden becomes known in and beyond ourcity and our programs continue to evolve, beingAt

thistimetheTsuruJapaneseGarden

identified on social media will be key.

information can be found on the Gresham Ebetsu
Sister City Association (GESCA) website. At thebeginning of the year a website specifically for theGarden will be launched. There will be continued
information to the GESCA website in the Garden
section. As the programs expand for community
involvement, there will be highlights and schedules
for events taking place at the "Resource Center"and in the "Garden" during the late spring andsummer months. Tomiko has been working behindthe scenes to put together some of the tea
ceremonies, displays and entertainment that willtake place in 2017.
By having a specific site for the Garden it will
increase visits to the site and allow greater
accessibility to web viewers. This may be more
important as the "Endowment" program moves
along and we present ourselves for grants toinstitutions, communities, foundations and othernon-profits.

Also specific information will beprovided for the Kaz Kids, volunteers, and gardenassociations such as the North American Japanese
Garden Association (NAJGA)ISSUE #12 NOVEMBER 2016 EDITION

Our initial goal was to make Tsuru Island a better
place because we appreciated the original intent of
the first builders. Our objective being to simply
clean it up. The depth of our goals changed withthe possibilities of what could be achieved. With
the realization that others would be willing to help,
thus allowing more to be completed in a shortertime coupled with momentum, energy and thosePage 1

involved
enjoying what was happening. "Who would ever
have thought?" is something that Tomiko and I say
to each other all of the time.
One of ourconsultants in the beginning said to us, “do what
they like and they will come". This statement could
not have been more true.
GIVING THANKS CONT.

We were asked by a person in a meeting a few
weeks ago how we got the money that we run on.
My answer was, "Oh we do not run on money, werun on energy". I do not know why I said that tohim and certainly never thought of it that way
before, but I have come to realize that there is moretruth to that than I originally thought. We havenever had money as the main goal, but sometimes
it was a necessity to reach the objective. We havebeen provided materials to achieve our goals
dozens of times.
Materials have been recycled
and/or made to fit the need. Plants that were notwanted/needed anymore were used to fill a spot in
the garden or sold at a plant sale.
The result of efforts put forth can be measured by
the volume of people that visit the garden, thenumber of strategic partners, and the number ofdonors that have provided gifts that foster thegarden.
Our current goals go beyond the actual Garden.
The goals must change and adapt to the current
and future needs that have been created throughthe evolution of the project.
1. Early in the second year of the project thegarden began being utilized as a platform foreducation. This aided the community by providingclasses and workshops and other learning
experiences to hobbyists, special needs individuals,
Japanese cultural enthusiasts, environmental andwildlife individuals. We have partnered with theCity of Gresham and gained a written use
agreement for the "Resource Center" that is locatedbetween Johnson Creek and the Springwater Trailand near the Garden. We hope to include andexpand the general public and allow ourorganization to partner with other organizations.

ISSUE #12 NOVEMBER 2016 EDITION

2. Improving the watershed around Tsuru Island
has become a specific topic of interest withencouragement from Shirley Craddick, MetroCouncil. Meetings with City officials, Johnson
Creek Watershed Council, Metro and the East
Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District
are taking place to achieve and reach theimprovement goals for the areas around Tsuru
Island. The overall vision will include the plantingof native trees and shrubs in specific locations
along the banks of the creek.
3. The Endowment for the Gresham Japanese
Garden is in the process with the assistance of theCity of Gresham to solidify a working agreement
so that the fostering of the garden can continue for
decades to come. This funding is vital to theprogram and is essential for future success.
With all of this being said, we realize that none ofthese things could be accomplished without thevolunteers. YOU came rain or shine every week allyear long asking, "what would you like me to do".
Some have specific duties they like to do, whileothers have no boundaries. You are the weeders
and pruners, those that rake and sweep and others
that just plain make things nicer.
This is the season to be thankful and we extend
Thanksgiving wishes to each of you. We arehonored that you choose to be a volunteer, partner,donor or supporter of Tsuru Island. THANK YOU
for every one of the 14,000 hours that have beenrecorded.
It is our privilege to have theopportunity to spend time with YOU.
The
following pages pay tribute to the many people
who contribute to this beautiful project.
Jim Card and Tomiko Takiuchi

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