Located at SW 71st and SW Alden Court, Beaverton, OR
Moonshadow Park, a long and narrow 4.8-acre park which is home to a stretch of Ash Creek, is a great example of a multi-agency effort in addition to an active neighborhood and volunteer community. Restoration began in the late 1990’s as a SOLV site, and was picked up by the Tualatin River Watershed Council in 2004 with support and maintenance provided by the Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District (THPRD). Invasive plant removal is a top priority at the site with priority given to removing Himalayan blackberry, Japanese knotweed, hedge false bindweed, English ivy, and English holly. Creeping buttercup, bittersweet nightshade, sweet cherry, honey locust, and cherry laurel have been identified as secondary invasive plant species. A combination of manual, mechanical, and chemical control methods are used by THPRD. Volunteer work focuses on removing blackberries, ivy, bindweed and holly, and even planting native vegetation, mulching around the newly planted natives, and general site maintenance and trash pick up.
Thanks to an OWEB grant obtained by THPRD, additional restoration efforts were able to take place, including restoring woody debris to the stream, using contracted spraying to reduce invasive plants by up to 80%, and purchasing thousands of native plants along with the help of Clean Water Services (CWS). The site serves as an urban case study with a sewer line running through the middle of the park, and with an equestrian center directly upslope of the park that allows substantial runoff to flow into the park.
Moonshadow Park benefits from having an active volunteer base including the local high school, Boy Scout troops, and neighbors. The partnerships with SOLV and TRWC have also provided great opportunity to get the public involved in the park’s restoration efforts.
To find out more about this site, visit www.trwc.org/council-projects/moonshadow.html.
