Heritage Center Wins Backyard Habitat Certification

Thanks to many volunteer hands, Tualatin Heritage Center has been awarded the Backyard Habitat Silver Certification designating our patio and garden area worthy of visitors who would like to learn more about how to make their own home and public landscaping more eco-friendly.  The program is sponsored in the NW Oregon region by the Columbia Land Trust and Portland Audubon. The team also said they will be promoting our garden for its handicapped accessibility

Criteria we met included: (1) Removal of certain invasive species, (2) Naturescape has more than 5% in locally native plants in various height layers, (3) Reduction in use of pesticides, (4) Consideration of wildlife needs (like beneficial insects) and (4) Stormwater Management (water conservation).

Tahn Kehmeier and Susie Peterson, two experts in the above practices, toured the campus October 21 on an official visit to review an application submitted by Chris Tunstall.  The native plants installed originally in the two patio planters was an Eagle Scout project along with binders of plant guides mounted on pedestals.  Chris worked over the past two years to secure more plants from Bosky Dell Natives to fill in blank areas where annuals were formerly added each summer.

The site assessors were impressed by our plant identification signs and the two updated guidebooks for visitors coordinated by THC manager Cindy Frost. Also attention-getting was weed removal work regularly done by Karin Olson and Margie Torgeson over the past several years. (However, Karin has now retired from spearheading these tasks, so we are searching for her replacement.).  A number of recommendations were made for shrub and tree replacement (we lost a big one this fall!) and for insect attractors like small bundles of sticks and piles of stones lying on the ground and mason bee houses and small dishes of water for insects to drink.  These later actions can help move our award level to Gold and on to Platinum

The website for the program at www. backyardhabitats.org includes resources and links for anyone wanting more details about the program and implications for landscaping in the Portland metro region.

Chris Tunstall and Larry McClure hold metal plaque for the Backyard Habitat Certification which will be installed in the patio area.