Program Expands to Lake Oswego
Backyard Habitat Certification Program Comes to Lake Oswego
Portland, Oregon – The Friends of Tryon Creek, in partnership with the Audubon Society and Columbia Land Trust, are pleased to announce the kick-off of the Backyard Habitat Certification Program in Lake Oswego on August 1.
The program provides assistance and incentives to residents with small lots (an acre or smaller) who seek to restore native wildlife habitat to their backyards. The program has operated successfully in Portland for a number of years and the Friends of Tryon Creek, together with our partners and the City of Lake Oswego, are looking forward to providing the same opportunity to Lake Oswego residents.
“The Backyard Habitat Certification Program is a great way for residents to make their yards sustainable and more natural”, says Lynn Peterson, the first Lake Oswego resident to receive certification. Peterson, a former Clackamas County Commissioner and Lake Oswego Council Member, currently serves as Governor Kitzhaber’s Transportation Advisor. She is referring to the significant decrease in water and resources that yards require after going through the certification process. Currently, 80% of the potable water that is used in Lake Oswego during the summer months goes to gardening and lawn maintenance. Backyard Habitat’s primary goals are to reduce water usage and manage stormwater runoff while simultaneously providing a healthy wildlife habitat.
For a number of years the Friends of Tryon Creek have taught “Landscaping for Conservation” workshops with similar goals: To reduce water use and the need for fertilizers and pesticides while providing a healthy, sustainable yard. The Friends will continue to offer Landscaping for Conservation workshops and encourage Lake Oswego residents to prepare for the certification process by attending one or more of them. They provide an ideal opportunity to prepare applicants for what to expect from the certification process and how to best prep their yards.
Lake Oswego residents are encouraged to sign up for the Backyard Habitat Certification Program at: http://audubonportland.org/backyardwildlife/backyardhabitat/application. Those interested in attending a Landscaping for Conservation class with the Friends of Tryon Creek can register online at http://www.tryonfriends.org/programs/calendar-listings.html. For more information on the Backyard Habitat Certification Program please visit http://audubonportland.org/backyardwildlife/backyardhabitat.
CONTACT
Jessica Sweeney, PR/Media Relations Coordinator
503-636-4398 Ext.124
