Clean Water Heroes
Dresden Skees-Gregory
Ten years ago, Dresden Skees-Gregory purchased a home on Downey Creek. The backyard was mainly dirt and the front had very little in the way of plants. Now, after eight years of hard work, Dresden's property has transformed dramatically. She's added a pond, planted nearly all native plants, has a raised bed and has added potted plants and birdfeeders.
Dresden enjoys a variety of wildlife visitors throughout the year including a Red -tailed Hawk family, a Great Blue Heron that fishes in her pond, raccoons, garden snakes and chipmunks. She also has a range of small native bees, including Mason bees, and butterflies that live in her garden. "We all get along in the same space just fine. We all share the same backyard," said Dresden.
When it comes to starting a garden, Dresden recommends starting small. "It's easier, cheaper and everything will grow in bigger than you think. It's worth having your yard look a bit scanty for a year or two to prevent having to remove something or doing a ton of pruning all the time."
Dresden has been in the environmental field for many years and was previously involved in wetland restoration work. She noticed a connection between native plans and animal survival and decided to learn more about NatureScaping. "The NatureScaping for Clean Rivers classes are a great help. They are usually free or very cheap, and I would heartily recommend all levels of the class."
Dresden began her project with only five plants and has since received several local species from Clean Water Services and also from the NatureScaping classes she participated in. Dresden now has between 100-150 local plant species in her garden. Some of her favorite choices for an urban yard are star-flowered false Solomon's seal, salal, coastal strawberry and the native Western azalea for its fantastic smell. "For those with a bit more space, or wanting some height, I like black twinberry, Oregon grape, mock orange, blue elderberry, pink honeysuckle bush and Indian plum."
Sue Manning & Fowler Middle School Students
A group of seventh grade students lead by one special teacher have combined resources, creativity and hard work to create a rain garden and stormwater swale in their school parking lot. Sue Manning and the students of Fowler Middle School in Tigard together with Clean Water Services, Tualatin Riverkeepers and the city of Tigard transformed a landscaped area into a native plant filled pond that will clean water before it enters storm drains that lead straight to Summer Creek—the school's backyard stream.
The Fowler rain garden is a model project for stormwater management that included students in the design and construction and will enlist their help for the long-term care.
In early October, Sue Manning and her students worked with a Clean Water Services employee, who created an artificial rainstorm in the parking lot with a water truck. The students measured the size of the drainage area and timed how long the water took to infiltrate the soil. The information was used to 
calculate the size of the rain garden. Students also chose plants from an approved list and designed the rain garden and swale.
Clean Water Services crews worked at Fowler to remove sod from the designated rain garden area, place erosion-control fabric on the stormwater swale bottom and add compost to the planting area.
In November 2007, students, volunteers and staff gathered together to install native plants in the rain garden and swale. "The students did an awesome job. My five classes planted about 1,000 grass plugs, shrubs and trees. They were all native species - Oregon grape, mock orange, swamp rose, salmonberry, spirea and three native grasses," said Sue. "After the plants become established, we will make 
several curb cuts and construct a speed (rain) bump to direct stormwater runoff from the parking lot into the pond and swale." Plants were donated by Clean Water Services and West Coast Natives in Sherwood.
In September 2008, Sue took her new students out to paint fish on the installed rain bumps to divert water into the pond and swale.
In June 2009, students helped create and install interpretive signs to teach others about the stormwater swale and rain garden. Students contributed artwork for the signs and spent some time removing invasive plants to keep the rain garden and swale healthy.
Fowler students, parents and staff are no strangers to improving their watershed. They have done extensive work in past years to clear out invasive plants and plant native vegetation around the school that provide habitat and water quality benefits. The rain garden was the next natural step. "When students found out that the stormwater from the parking lot was going directly into the creek and polluting the water, they were shocked and disappointed," said Sue. "Next we will have to monitor Summer Creek to find out how much the water has improved."
The Barrett Family
When Bruce and Katie Barrett of Tigard bought their house 
in 2000, the sloping backyard that meets up with Derry Dell Creek was completely covered with Himalayan blackberry and English ivy. Today, their hillside is replanted with natives and you can see the creek and walking trail on the other side. "We knew the creek was down there because we could hear it, now we can actually see it," said Bruce.
Inspired by the work of volunteers, neighbors and later Tigard city crews the Barretts decided to tackle their hillside to help improve the watershed and invite native species back to the creek. "Since the restoration we've seen more bird species, chipmunks and even deer," said Bruce. Removing the invasive plants was a big job. Katie and Bruce's children Amanda and Kenny both helped to pull out the 
blackberry and ivy and replant the hillside. "It was definitely a family effort," said Katie. After the invasive were removed the Barretts consulted Tigard employee Carla Staedter for planting ideas. "Carla was great, she helped us decide what to plant where and told us about placing erosion blankets and grass over our plantings to help keep the hillside stable," said Bruce. "She was so willing to work with us, not just tell us what to do. She came out here to see what we were working on."
The Barretts began clearing invasives last July and today their native species are beginning to establish themselves. The Barretts replanted their hillside with snowberry, several types of fern, Oregon grape, Douglas fir, cedar and wild rose. "We got most of our plants at Bosky Dell nursery. Now that the natives are planted, we don’t have to water or fertilize, just make sure the blackberry doesn't come back," said Katie.
Fran & Blaine
Fran Beebe and her husband Blaine Ackley own a 2-acre urban forest minutes from bustling Orenco Station. When they first purchased the property in 1999, the trees were covered with English ivy and the native plants were overgrown with Himalayan blackberry. “It took us a few years just to get the ivy out of the trees. We hired workers with machetes to cut out the invasive plants and rounded up friends and neighbors to help pull the ivy and other weeds on the property,” said Fran.
Removing the invasive English ivy, Himalayan blackberry and stinging nettle (the 'three thugs' of gardening) that covered most of the land was a labor of love that continues years later. "I take a walk around the property and pull out any invasive plants I can find," says Fran.
Fran and Blaine focused their energy on one area at a time, first removing invasives then consulting a landscape designer to help plan revegetation with native species. "We needed help to determine what types of plants would thrive in the different areas of our property. Shade, sun, dry soil, wet soil— the land is diverse. We also got information and native plants form Brian Vaughn and Dave Nutt [of Clean Water Services]. Brian and Dave encouraged us in our efforts, and sometimes it’s nice to hear that you are doing a good job."
Now, most of their property is thriving with many native species including dogwood, wild ginger, bleeding heart, oxalis, Pacific ninebark, rhododendron, bigleaf maple, Douglas fir, vinca, woodland strawberries, sword and lady fern, Oregon grape and more. Fran and Blaine purchased many of their natives from local nurseries.
"There are so many pluses to using native plants—the maintenance is low, you don’t have to water after the plants are established and it creates good wildlife habitat. When you have such a big space you have to consider the amount of water and maintenance carefully." Fran uses natural fertilizer from a worm bin and a turning composter. "The natives are pretty and look like they have been here forever."
Next Fran and Blaine plan to revegetate a former pond area to help filter out stormwater runoff from nearby construction and development and to create more riparian areas.
Barbara & Robin
Aloha residents Robin Wendlant and Barbara McDonald have a vested interest in their watershed. The neighbors re-vegetated their adjoining backyards using nearly 100 percent native plants. As stream-side homeowners, their decision to eliminate invasive plants helps the overall health of their 
watershed by filtering pollutants from their stream and reducing the amount of chemicals they use in their yard. Clean Water Services donated 40 native plants including Douglas spirea and red-flowering currant.
"The only fertilizer we use on our lawns is compost," said Robin Wendlandt and Barbara McDonald. "We used almost completely native plants like sword fern, bleeding heart and evergreen huckleberry. Native plants require minimal care, are suited to the natural surroundings and are drought tolerant."
Karen & Bill
Karen and Bill Anderson's backyard is minutes from busy 185th in Beaverton, but it feels more like a remote wooded area, abundant with native plants and wildlife. This landscape didn't come overnight though, "When we moved in 31 years ago, this lot was bare, not one tree," said Bill Anderson.
Originally the Andersons planted natives to create habitat for wildlife but soon discovered other benefits. “The natives make great homes for birds and squirrels, but they also help us save on our water bill,” said Bill. Karen added, "We never have to use any fertilizer either."
The Anderson's yard includes; big leaf vine maple, Oregon iris, service berry, snowberry, sumac, trillium, wax cedar and several types of fern, many were purchased at Tualatin Nature Park and Audubon Society plant sales.
The Anderson's are planting tufted hair grass in the ditch by their house to cut down the pollutants that reach near-by Beaverton Creek. They don't plan to stop there either. "Next we're building a green house to grow our own native plants and a barrel to harvest rainwater for outdoor use," said Karen.
Virginia
Virginia Bruce enjoys the beauty of red cedar, mock orange and Oregon grape in her Cedar Mill garden. By planting native plants in her yard she's doing her part to protect our local streams.
Do you know a clean water hero? Tell us about it and we'll spread the word about healthy watershed habits. Email: teraglie@cleanwaterservices.org