In This Issue
• Fall composting 101: Two tricks that treat your soil

• Get dirty for a good cause

Did you know?
Clean Water Connection won a first-place Savvy Award in the electronic newsletter category from the City-County Communications and Marketing Association.

Who we are
Clean Water Services is a wastewater and stormwater utility committed to protecting water resources in the Tualatin River Watershed.

Fall composting 101: Two tricks that treat your soil

Composting is a great way of reusing your kitchen scraps and yard debris because it improves your soil's fertility and texture while retaining moisture and nutrients. Compost rich soil grows healthier, more productive plants and reduces those pesty weeds.

Pumpkins and leaves please
Composting involves the breakdown of organic material by a large number of bacteria and fungi. These organisms need oxygen, moisture and the right mix of nutrients to operate efficiently. Organic matter, such as leaves and pumpkins create greenhouse gases when buried in the landfill. The myth of landfilling is that food waste, yard waste, and paper are not a problem because they break down in a landfill. The truth is when organics such as vegetative food (pumpkins, peelings, coffee grounds, etc) and yard materials (grass clippings, leaves, etc.) biodegrade in a landfill, where there is little oxygen, they generate methane gas—a greenhouse gas over 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

The bottom line
By using compost, not only are you helping the environment but you're adding change to your pocket because your lawn and garden will require less chemicals and water. You're also reducing the amount of garbage you send to the landfill and preventing floods caused by
leaf-clogged storm drains.

To learn more about composting, visit www.howtocompost.org.

Get dirty for a good cause

Learn how to plant native trees and shrubs that protect our local rivers at the upcoming Tree for All: Community Stream Planting Challenge events. Plants, tools, gloves, and water will be provided. Please dress for the weather and wear boots. All events are 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

• Nov. 4—City of Hillsboro at Frances Street Park
• Nov. 18—City of Cornelius at Tualatin River King Property and City of Tualatin at Brown’s Ferry Park
• Dec. 2—City of Beaverton at Chaparral Bike Path and City of Sherwood at Stella Olsen Park
• Dec. 9—City of Cornelius at Tualatin River King Property

Tree for All is sponsored by Clean Water Services and the Cities of Washington County with support from SOLV and Friends of Trees. Our goal is to plant two million native trees and plants in the Tualatin River Watershed in the next 20 years to improve water quality and wildlife habitat.

For more details and to sign up, please visit the SOLV and Friends of Trees websites.