With the dedication that goes above-and-beyond the normal, the V-FORMATION FLYER Award recognizes spirited volunteers who give without hesitation of their time and resources to organize, develop, or enhance the parks, trails, and recreation programs.
Jayne Lacey has a serious passion and overflowing energy when it comes to Washougal parks and trees and currently serves as the Washougal Park Board president. As a certified arborist, she is a valuable volunteer for the Washougal Parks Department, using her technical knowledge to teach volunteers about our local trees and helping to make the city’s trees healthier. She has offered her expertise to the city of Washougal and hopes to assist the city in developing tree ordinances that further beautify the city and its greenspaces.
In 2019, she proposed to the city to set an aggressive schedule for ivy removal at Kerr Park. This successful work allowed Jayne and others to plant 200 trees and as many shrubs in the areas where this invasive weed was removed. This work benefited the park greatly by helping to revitalize the land and preventing the ivy from choking out native trees.
Jayne is a tireless volunteer and demonstrates a thorough love for the parks of Washougal and has become a valuable extension of the Washougal Parks Team. She is often a staple at both the parks and at other planned events. Finally, she has dedicated many weekends to promoting our local parks and has continuously demonstrated a commitment to making Washougal a greener city.
You can’t talk about the 300 acre area known as Whipple Creek Park without including Tyler Castle in the same sentence. Whipple Creek is a 300 acre densely wooded forest park with 4.3 miles of graveled trails that are all maintained by volunteers. Tyler is the current president of the Whipple Creek Restoration Committee and manages many of the volunteer projects on the site. Many times, he brings his own tools to projects, even letting other volunteers utilize them. Tyler is known as a friend to all. He offers encouragement and support by always providing volunteers with information about how their work has impacted the park. He also takes the time to chat with park visitors, letting them know where to see beavers, a variety of flowers, and the best trails for riding horses. When the county was ready to add additional plants into the park and remove invasive weeds, Tyler volunteered to help lead the event, including organizing and educating student volunteers. You are just as likely to find Tyler pushing a wheelbarrow full of gravel, shoveling dirt, or digging drainage trenches as you are sharing his knowledge of plants, soil and Whipple Creek Park’ history.
The latest project at the park is the renovation of the historic Hilborn Stone Mill. To replace the floor of the mill, Tyler worked with the project mason to mix 149 80# bags of concrete- two bags at a time- in a concrete mixer. Mixing and pouring the concrete in this fashion, while extremely labor intensive, meant that the park was spared the damage that large trucks can cause in environmentally sensitive areas.
All of the work done at the park has meant an increase in visitors over the years. Not very long ago, only a few visitors would be seen at the park due to the muddy trails much of the year. Now one can see visitors even in February. As the trails continue to be reclaimed and improved, many more people are able to get out and experience the amazing park that is Whipple Creek.
2019 — Erin Beck and Cassie Marshall
2018 — Janice Ferguson & Shirley Scott
2017 — Joyce Lindsay
2016 — Marie Bouvier
2015 — Dave Kuhlman & Allene Wodage
2014 — Barbara Anderson
2013 — Anita Hill
2012 — Dr. Milada Allen
2011 — John Garofalo
