A big Thank You to all the volunteers who made the habitat planting at the Shelstad Farm possible!

Farming, habitat enhancement, and water quality protection all came together on March 4 at the volunteer planting event near Orting. In partnership with PCC Farmland Trust and the owners of Shelstad Farm, Kim and Janet Shelstad, 30 volunteers planted, tubed, and mulched 220 trees and shrubs. The plants were installed along a ditch that drains water from the fields during the wet season. The water eventually makes its way to nearby Horsehaven Creek, and shortly after that, the Puyallup River.

Projects like this can make a big difference by accomplishing many things in a short amount of time. In just a Saturday morning, a buffer is planted to intercept, filter, and take up loose soil and nutrients that might run off from adjacent fields; plants are installed that will attract pollinators, birds, and other wildlife; and community members have a chance to get dirty and have fun in the process of improving our environment, one plant at a time!