Creek Restoration

Thanks to Marion Soil & Water Conservation District’s commitment to natural resources, the middle and lower sections of Pringle Creek in our neighborhood were greatly enhanced this week. Workers whacked invasive weeds along the east bank of the creek, from the bridge downstream to the NW corner--about 1200ft of riparian area. They then planted over 1,000 native plants and applied 3” of mulch around the base of each plant, to act as a weed barrier and to conserve moisture. This will provide native ground cover and lots of shade for the creek.

Over the years, many people have invested their time and resources into improving this section of Pringle Creek, with great results. Special thanks to Luca at Marion SWCD for all his work, and to Jenny also, to Pringle Creek Watershed Council, and to workers Rafael and Mario, and to Sevenoaks Nursery and Wallace Hansen Nursery.

If you’d like to get involved with further restoration efforts, join your local Watershed Council! Pringle Creek Watershed Council meets on the second Tuesday of every month at 6pm at Pringle Creek Community. All are welcome.

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The mulch they are using came from small trees and branches ground up onsite.

Rafael getting ready to plant a sword fern and a dogwood.

Oregon ash will provide needed shade along the creek.

Ferns getting ready to go in ground.

Beginnings of a restored riparian zone.

Other new urbanist and sustainable developments

If you want to see an extensive listing of new urbanist developments, check out TND Town Paper's neighborhoods page. From the site: "the acronym TND stands for Traditional Neighborhood Development, a comprehensive planning system that includes a variety of housing types and land uses . . . educational facilities, civic buildings and commercial establishments to be located within walking distance of private homes."

As you can see, the TND definition describes walkability, but it doesn't put it in the context of saving energy, reducing ennvironmental impact, sustainability. The new urbanist movement and the green communities movement have much in common.
Both attempt to get us away from the suburban sprawl model of development. The new urbanist movement began with an emphasis on quality of living.

This Green Eco Neighborhoods' listing is more focused on the environmental aspect. It has only a fraction of the number of developments. Probably most of these eco developments are, like Pringle Creek Community, on both lists.