Raindrops to Refuge
Work Plan, 2008

Raindrops to Refuge Mission Statement:

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 .

2008 Work Plan Goals

Education: To educate youth and adults living and working in the watershed about its functions, including and fish and wildlife habitat and to show them how their actions impact these natural resources.

  • Introduce local watershed protection into all the middle schools in our watershed and distribute a salmon coloring book designed for their age group. (A grant for this has been awarded by the Chinook Tribe.)
  • Sponsor a Naturescaping Project for Sherwood residents, put on by Clean Water Services.

Outreach: To inspire and mobilize Sherwood watershed residents, landowners, developers, and the City to be persuasive advocates for the protection and restoration of natural areas.

  • Develop new R2R website sufficiently to go online.
  • Find funding for and create new R2R brochure.
  • Speak to 3 civic groups in Sherwood.
  • Participate in the following events:
    • Better Living Show in Portland – March
    • Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge Grand Opening - March
    • Clean Water Fest for Kids at PCC - April
    • Naturescaping Workshops (2) – April and May
    • Sherwood Community Services Fair – June
    • TRK Discovery Day - June

Restoration: To collaborate with any and all possible partners to facilitate restoration activities throughout our watershed, under private and public ownership.

  • Continue the Woodhaven wetland restoration at each step until the signing off of the project by Pacific Habitat Services.
  • Research and find our next restoration site, with assistance from agencies, landowners, and other nonprofits.  

Conservation: To foster conservation planning and conservation easements.

  • Approach the landowners in the Cedar Creek area of the Brookman Road Addition with information about conservation easements, with assistance from Three Rivers Land Conservancy. (Metro is not interested in protecting this area.) Hold an information meeting if sufficient interest can be raised.

Assessment and Monitoring: To use current water quality data to improve the health of the watershed.

  • Engage Refuge Club to conduct basic water quality information at Cedar Creek at an upper and lower location (turbidity, etc.), Have Fish and Wildlife summarize the data, and inform the City of Sherwood the status of Cedar Creek prior to the Brookman Road Addition.
  • Monitor the Lakeside/Grabhorn Landfill, write letters and attend meetings as necessary.
  • Monitor the Tannery Site and Foster Farm, write letters and attend meetings as necessary.

Organization Sustainability: To obtain steady funding for R2R staff, office, and programs; gain sufficient community involvement to achieve the Action Plan; and foster partnerships within our region.

  • Raise 15K from the community to leverage with foundation funds.
  • Grow board from 4 to 8 members.
  • Grow our volunteer base to 500 members.
  • Meet with TRK and FOR for a full day to discuss activities, issues, and opportunities for collaboration.

Long Term Vision:

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



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