A new $2.6 million education pavilion officially opened on Sept. 20 at Tryon Creek State Natural Area, marking a major step forward for environmental education and cultural recognition in Portland.
Built by local nonprofit Friends of Tryon Creek, the pavilion replaces the former Glenn Jackson Shelter and will serve as a space for student programs, community events and cultural ceremonies. The opening celebration included a traditional salmon bake, tours and a public welcoming ceremony.
The design of the new pavilion was developed with input from local Indigenous community members to ensure accuracy in honoring the Northwest’s tribal heritage, particularly the Clackamas, Multnomah and Wasco-Wishram tribes. The result is a structure that reflects Native architecture and incorporates carvings and artwork by Indigenous artists.
“The ITECK (Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge) focus at Tryon Creek creates a profound spiritual healing experience for those consenting. Disagreement didn’t cease collaboration, it revealed natural adaptabilities which I was fortunate to witness,” said Tsïtsïki Erendia Griego, a summer intern in the Friends of Tryon Creek Green Leaders program in the Summer 2025 edition of the organization’s newsletter.
The 2,400-square-foot building includes two classrooms, floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the surrounding forest, air conditioning, and both whiteboards and chalkboards. A distinctive hallway flooring made of blue-gray composite stone symbolizes the Columbia River flood basalts and depicts two tribes trading across the river.
The pavilion also features a fire pit for tribal ceremonies and special events, as well as a basement studio where Shirod Younker, a member of the Coquille Indian Tribe, is currently carving an eight-foot sculpture inspired by traditional plank houses. The piece will be displayed next to an existing sculpture by Greg Robinson of the Chinook Indian Nation. Together, the two works are intended to hold a conversation, symbolizing the pavilion’s role as a space for cross-cultural learning.
Art by Gregory Archuleta of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and Earl Davis of the Shoalwater Bay Tribe is also featured throughout the space.
Four guiding principles shaped the project: legacy, education, sustainability and honor. The Friends of Tryon Creek aim to triple the number of youth served by educational programs at the site, while also providing space for lunch breaks and student presentations. Future plans include environmental education, nature day camps, workshops, and more.
In a statement to The Mossy Log, the staff stated that the primary goals for the pavilion are “increased environmental education capacity, indigenous cultural representation and sustainable design.”
In keeping with its sustainability goals, the pavilion was built using locally sourced and environmentally friendly materials such as wooden boards that were restored from the old gazebo, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to forest preservation and ecological restoration.
Construction began in summer of 2023 with the demolition of the old gazebo, followed by excavation and concrete work in 2024. Logs were brought in during fall of that year, and the structure was completed in phases through the spring and summer of 2025.
Funding came from both community contributions and city support. The staff issued a statement stating.
Friend of Tryon Creek Director, Gabe Sheoships said in an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting ‘“This building will give a space for gathering, a space for communion, a space for playing, a space for making friends, a space of connection that would then be a gateway to this larger forest and many others throughout the region and really the world.”’
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