Surfrider Foundation Volunteers for Green Streets!
Jan 16, 2013 at 10:54 AM 2 Comments
photo courtesy of Surfrider Foundation, Portland Chapter
The Surfrider Foundation has stepped up with the Green Street Stewards. We learned from the Surfrider website that nine volunteers turned out to help this week, collecting 3 buckets of debris from 15 bioswales in Northeast Portland. Folks interested in volunteering with next month's event can contact Surfrider Portland's Volunteer Coordinator Gregg by clicking here.
Since 2003, over 1,200 green street facilities have been constructed, and more are getting built every year. Green streets increase sewer system efficiency and protect water quality by keeping stormwater out of the sewer system, filtering pollutants, providing habitat and increasing neighborhood green space. The City is responsible for looking after green streets as they are an important part of the stormwater collection system. Some members of the community asked if they could get involved with the green streets, and since then nearly 70 volunteers and businesses have signed up to help with over 100 facilities in their neigborhoods. For more information on the City of Portland’s Green Streets Program, click here.
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Kristan Burkert
January 17, 2013 at 8:55 AM
Apparently these folks have been at this for a couple of months as regular 3rd Tuesday thing - always with dessert.
:-) Check out these comments in their November report:
"What’s a bioswale you ask? Well it's one of the most darn tootin “Why didn’t I think of that first?” things around. Instead of having stormwater go down the drain, through a pipe and into a stormwater treatment center, why not have the pollutants naturally filtered out by plants, and have the water seep back down into ground water? Well, that’s basically how it works. Portland is actually internationally known for these bioswales, and city planners from around the world come here to check out our ”fleet” of swales."
Yeah Surfriders and Yeah Portland! This stuff is great because it saves both money & the environment. And apparently creates opportunities for fun times!
Nicole
January 17, 2013 at 9:47 AM
Great to see Surfrider Portland's Chapter on the City of Portland blog. Thanks for picking up and publishing the story.
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