Habitat Haven

I had a visit from a botanist from Habitat Haven early this month, who sent me a report, and 6 certification objectives, which I will list here-

Agenda:

1. Remove invasive and nuisance weeds

2. Plan new naturescaping

3. Wildlife stewardship plans

4. Stormwater management

5. Pesticides reduction

6. Education & Volunteerism

1. Remove invasive and nuisance weeds:

"Nuisance weeds are a serious problem to the ecology of our region. They smother and kill native plants that wildlife depend on, damage property, increase erosion, degrade habitat, and are a major cause of global biodiversity loss." 

The primary invasive weeds I need to continue to remove are Italian arum, bindweed, English ivy, and creeping buttercup. 

2. Plan new naturescaping:

"Native plants are adapted to our climate and are naturally resistant to pests and diseases. They require less maintenance and help manage stormwater. They also provide food and shelter to support the entire life cycles of pollinators and birds. For certification, we define a “naturescaped” area as one where the majority of plants are native to the southern Willamette Valley and southern Oregon and where at least 3 native canopy layers are present (e.g. tall shrub, small shrub, groundcover)."

I've got two main areas to work on:

Area A: Street Planting Strip (9’ x 36’ = 324 sq. ft.) This area is currently shaded by 2 mature hawthorn trees that provide canopy for the area. The understory is planted densely with ornamental iris and some snowberry. This area would be an excellent start to creating a multi-layer native habitat planting.

Ground cover, grasses, bulbs: 

• Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
• Tough leaved Iris (Iris tenax)
• fringecup (Tellima grandiflora)
• yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
• woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) 
• Oregon geranium (Geranium oreganum) 
• red columbine (Aquilegia formosa)
• cow parsnip (Heracleum maximum)

Small-medium shrubs to 10 feet, and ferns (up to 5ft):

• sword fern (Polystichum munitum)
• evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum)

Area B: Front yard around seating area (approx. 18’ x 18’ = 324 sq. ft.) This area already has a variety of native and non-native species of perennials and shrubs. The addition of some of these recommended species could easily bring the percentage of native species to 50%, fitting our definition of “naturescaped”.

Ground cover, grasses, bulbs: 

• Oregon sunshine (Eriophyllum lanatum)
• yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
• meadow checkerbloom (Sidalcea campestris), 
• showy fleabane (Erigeron speciosus)
• slender cinquefoil (Potentilla gracilis), 
• narrow-leaved mule’s ears (Wyethia angustifolia), 
• blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum and Sisyrinchium idahoense)
• Oregon iris (Iris tenax)
• Oregon geranium (Geranium oreganum)
• red columbine (Aquilegia formosa)

My naturescaping plan:

1. My first step is to decide on a which new plants to put in - do some research (and I need to order the native irises soon).
2. Then when it's cooler, I'll remove the ornamental irises and plant some native irises, and transplant sword fern, bleeding heart, Oregon sunshine, and yarrow.
3. Thirdly, I'll make another trip out to Doak Creek to get new plants!

3. Wildlife stewardship plans:

"Our region provides critical habitat for more than 365 species of native fish and wildlife and over 10,000 native insects. Habitat loss, invasive plant and animal species, environmental contaminants, and a variety of man-made hazards make it difficult for wildlife to survive in our region. You can take steps to support wildlife by creating conditions to help them thrive."

I've done everything on the list except:

• Reduce Bird collisions: assess problem windows, treat to reduce strikes. Birdsavers.com, Featherfriendly.com. Deterrents must be on the outside of your windows to be effective.

4. Stormwater management:

"When rain washes over our roofs, driveways and sidewalks, it picks up a variety of pollutants, such as pesticides, motor oil, metals, and other chemicals. This polluted stormwater eventually drains into our rivers and streams, endangering water quality and making these waterways unhealthy for people, fish, and wildlife. Encouraging stormwater to infiltrate into your yard protects water quality and can be a useful source of water for your plants."

I've done everything on the list except:

• Rain garden to manage stormwater onsite.

5. Pesticides reduction:

"We discourage the use of pesticides. Decreasing and eventually eliminating these substances is essential for pollinators, birds, other wildlife, and for our own health and well-being. We encourage using Integrated Pest Management to determine whether treatment is needed and to come up with a sustainable solution. The Backyard Habitat Certification Program uses Grow Smart Grow Safe to guide the certification criteria. Please refer to this incredible educational resource to determine the toxicity of products you use (red, yellow, or green zone) and to find natural gardening alternatives.

6. Education & Volunteerism:

I've got some plans already for this objective:

1. Make a Habitat Haven flyer with photos of my plants to share with neighbors.
2. Work on pesticide legislation, specifically Oregon House Bill 2679, to make neonics a restricted-use pesticide to protect bees and other pollinators.