In the city, good neighbors invite you to their holiday party, lend you a tool or bring in the mail when you’re away. At Metro’s Clear Creek Natural Area near Carver, neighborly kindness took a different form last month, when volunteers from Springwater Environmental Sciences School planted nearly 5,000 native Camas bulbs.
More than 100 students, parents, grandparents and teachers from the public charter school dedicated their community service day to the 580-acre natural area next door. Working under the guidance of crew leaders from Metro’s volunteer program, they spent a morning transforming a prairie at Clear Creek. The Camas, which were grown at Metro’s Native Plant Center, will create a burst of blue when they bloom every spring.
"At Springwater, enjoying the marvels of nature and caring for our planet are some of our passions," wrote Lori Skiles, a Springwater parent who coordinated the volunteer event. "We’re equally passionate about protecting and maintaining the place where we study, hike and explore."
Nestled among Christmas tree farms, Clear Creek Natural Area serves as a haven for wildlife – and an outdoor laboratory for the Springwater school. Named for the creek that snakes through this canyon, the natural area is home to endangered Coho and Chinook salmon, as well as deer, coyote, beaver and otter. Wildflowers bloom in the spring; fungi can be found in the fall.
Metro protected the natural area through two voter-approved bond measures, which set aside money to buy sensitive habitat. Extensive restoration has improved the health of the site, where efforts continue to restore salmon and prairie habitat.
That vision got a major boost from the Springwater school, said Bonnie Shoffner, Metro’s volunteer coordinator.
"The Springwater school’s community spirit makes them a great steward to have as neighbor," she said. "We really appreciate their passion about protecting this natural area."