Lush green ferns and other native plants now take the place of broken bottles, trash and weeds as Environmental Services and community partners transformed the Alameda Stairs, a popular public walkway in NE Portland, into healthy habitat and a beautiful public space that also filters stormwater.

Planting day at the Alameda Stairs in Northeast Portland

The transformation happened as Environmental Services worked with the Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood Association and partnered with the Backyard Habitat Certification Program and East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District (EMSWCD).

Some of the 500 native plants planted along the Alameda Stairs

At least 500 native plants were planted during a community event, making Alameda Stairs the first public space created under the Backyard Habitat Certification Program. Today, those plants are now thriving and helping to stabilize the soil. The Alameda Stairs are not just a passage through the neighborhood, but also healthy habitat that will provide stormwater management benefits for many generations to come. Environmental Services supports projects like this that work with nature to clean and infiltrate rainwater that runs off our streets, driveways and roofs.

To learn more about the Backyard Habitat Certification program, visit: https://backyardhabitats.org/.

The new signage along Alameda Stairs showing Backyard Habitat Certification