Our Mission
To inspire, educate, and facilitate sustainable community actions to assess, restore, and preserve the watershed health of Chicken Creek, Cedar Creek, and Rock Creek in Sherwood, Oregon.


History
The Raindrops to Refuge (R2R) began in 2001 formed by residents and representatives from the City of Sherwood, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Friends of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, Audubon of Portland, and Sherwood Schools. These founders were concerned about the detrimental impacts of growth on their watershed's health. Water quality and wildlife habitat showed signs of neglect and degradation. The cumulative effects of growth had negatively affected the Refuge and the Tualatin River downstream. These original members of R2R sought innovative solutions.

The City of Sherwood was and still is one of the fastest growing cities in Oregon with an increase in population from 2,500 in 1989 to over 14,000 in 2004.

This rate of growth has negatively impacted the Refuge, the City's public greenways, water quality, and fish and wildlife habitat. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has listed all three Sherwood creeks as "water quality limited" due to high stream temperatures, bacteria, and insufficient dissolved oxygen levels. These problems have a mix of causes: 1. Increased levels and velocity of storm water runoff, 2. Pollution caused by heavy pesticide and herbicide use on farms, residential yards and business parks, 3. Lack of tree canopy along streams, 4. Erosion from increased water flows, 5. The effects of conventionally landscaped yards, and 6. Encroachment into the floodplain.

At the same time, R2R recognized that, along with the threats, the Sherwood situation offered unique opportunities. Previously the City had acquired over 300 acres of stream corridor and floodplain within the UGB thereby protecting these important natural spaces from development. While hardly in their natural healthy states, many of these areas were in better shape than would be expected. Significant stretches of Cedar and Chicken Creeks outside the UGB remained in relatively decent condition. And the presence of over 1,300 acres of wildlife refuge adjacent to the City similarly inspired this original group of watershed stewards.

R2R developed a Mission Statement that holds up to this day: R2R is a community watershed stewardship group with a mission to "inspire, educate, and facilitate community actions to assess, restore and preserve the ecological health of Sherwood's three watersheds."

The City of Sherwood hosted R2R from 2001 to 2004 providing office space, financial management, and other critical support so that the Program could attain the strength to become independent. On January 1, 2005 Raindrops to Refuge became an independent non-profit incorporated in Oregon and approved as a tax-exempt charity by the IRS. R2R is now located in Old Town Sherwood in an historical building at 22461 SW Pine Street.

R2R’s Long Term Goals
Each year as we evaluate the progress we’ve made and make a plan for the following year, we also look a little further down the road to identify a longer term benchmark to reach for. The Raindrops to Refuge Board and staff have pinpointed three important goals of the organization for the near long term. When we accomplish these goals, we’ll consider ourselves effective and sustainable. Perhaps you can help us achieve these goals. Get in touch with R2R if you’d like to discuss any of the items below.

• Include more hands on activities for Sherwood’s children.
• Reach out to the other stakeholder groups in the watershed to find more opportunities to work together.
• Conduct a strategic planning session with a facilitator, board, staff, and stakeholders, with particular emphasis on sustainability, both internal and external.