Local Businesses Beautify and Restore Stormwater Ponds
/The Snohomish Conservation District gathered dozens of local volunteers last Thursday behind the Stanwood Camano Village to help restore a bare and degraded landscape right in their own backyard. Volunteers included employees from local businesses, including the YMCA, the Everett Clinic, Port Susan Dental Care, Subway, and Process Solutions.
The natural area southeast of the 57-acre Stanwood Camano Village has historically served as a secluded walking spot for locals. This area includes a bioretention swale and two fenced-off retention ponds; these natural areas filter and retain stormwater runoff from the nearby parking lots, but have remained largely undeveloped and off-limits to the public.
Using grant money from the Department of Ecology, the Snohomish Conservation District removed the 8-foot high chain link fence and invasive weeds that blocked access to the ponds, opening up the viewing space.
With the help of volunteers – including 22 children from the local YMCA Stanwood Summer Camp – the Snohomish Conservation District began planting 1,000 ecologically friendly plants, including native strawberries, roses, and dogwoods.
Leftover work was completed by the District’s crews – the Washington Conservation Corps crew and the Veteran Conservation Corps crew, composed of AmeriCorps members and United States veterans, respectively. The Snohomish Conservation District hopes that this project will remain an ecologically healthy, beautiful space for the community to enjoy for years to come.
