Kim Smith

WOW! Talk about resilience! On the last day of the Ecochallenge, we continued to work on converting our bioswale into a pond and added in pruning our laurel hedge and trimming back our apple trees. What a huge effort! Do you have experience with laurel hedges? I can't believe how fast they grow! We are grateful for the privacy they offer and their vigor, but they are a lot of work to maintain, and, alas, quite invasive.

On the other hand, a core regenerative plant that shows up in disturbed landscapes is fireweed. I don't know where it came from, but we had to replace our fence last year and there was a lot of damaged and bare dirt. Nature has gifted us with fireweed! I am so excited to see it growing and we are looking forward to seeing the pretty flowers and how they can support our pollinators and help rebuild the soil.

For the pond, we have added in some cool shade plants that we hope will be happy, including some native sedges, a hardy waterlily, and fairy moss (for mosquito abatement). We'll see how that all goes, including assessing how they handle our microclimate.

It has been fun to look at broader ecosystems, during the Ecochallenge, and our own little yard, to see how nature can bounce back from disruptions.

We had a nice walk in our neighborhood today, often stopping to look at plants and gardens and even smell the roses. It especially was interesting to explore the big stormwater treatment lot near our house. We were sad when the city took down the forest, but we can see now how it is all growing back and how the riparian design is really working to capture the rainwater and run-off from Capitol Hwy. It is fun to see all of the water plants thriving!

During the last week of Earth Month, and the Ecochallenge, I finally am diving into a book by beloved author, Robin Wall Kimmerer: "The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World".

It has been so interesting to dig into the various ecosystem dynamics that can offer biomimicry lessons that we can apply in our lives. I have been enjoying walking in my garden and being out in nature, as well as reading Robin Wall Kimmerer's "The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World". There are many beautiful ways to think about how to find balance in our lives, as well as opportunities for gratitude.

I love participating in Ecochallenges and have done so for many years! It is great how the themes change and the different actions and resources address various issues, from personal needs to community engagement. Given the value of resilience and self-care, I am grateful for the structure of the Ecochallenge to motivate me to stay with my daily actions and take on bigger one-time challenges that I have often intended to do for a while.

It is fun being a Team Captain, too, as I get to see what all of our team members (yay, PCC Ecopanthers!) are doing and try to offer support and encouragement, when needed.