Urban nature area achieves Backyard Habitat Gold certification with help from Columbia Land Trust staff, marking a milestone in the restoration of this cherished neighborhood forest in Vancouver.
“Behrens Woods may only be 2.34 acres, but this small forest plays an important role in the community,” said Hailey Heath, the City of Vancouver Volunteer Coordinator. “This site is a beautiful example of a Douglas-fir and western hemlock forest, an ecosystem that once covered much of the land west of the Cascades. Healthy urban forests like this are increasingly rare, which makes places like Behrens Woods especially valuable.”
Since 2022, dedicated neighborhood stewards have coordinated volunteer work parties twice a month. Together they have contributed nearly 2,500 hours working towards Backyard Habitat certification. Certification is achieved by conserving or planting native species, removing noxious species, implementing wildlife stewardship and stormwater management measures, and reducing or eliminating pesticides. So far Behrens Woods volunteers have planted more than 330 native plants, and removed over 325 cubic yards of non-native species that crowd out important natives. Beneath an overstory of Douglas fir, big leaf maple, Oregon ash, and Western red cedar, the park is home to smaller native tree species including vine maple and cascara, tall shrubs such as osoberry and tall Oregon grape, small shrubs such as Cascade Oregon grape and snowberry, and groundcovers like fringecup, inside-out flower, and trillium.
One of the volunteer stewards leading the restoration effort is Karen Garmine, who works alongside her husband, Fred, to help transform the forest. “Behrens Woods is a great model for what can be done,” said Karen. “Every single tree used to be covered in ivy. The transformation is remarkable, and the park really healed itself. Once the non-native plants were out of the way, the native species came back on their own for the most part.”
The Backyard Habitat Certification Program is co-managed by Columbia Land Trust and Bird Alliance of Oregon, and in addition to residential yards, the program certifies public community spaces, including parks, natural areas, schoolyards, places of worship, and apartment complexes. Certification criteria are slightly different for these public ‘demonstration sites’, which foster access to nature and inspire visitors by providing accessible examples of naturescaping. At Behrens Woods, there are interpretive plant identification signs and compacted gravel paths that meet U.S. Forest Service Trail Accessibility standards.
In December 2024, Behrens Woods achieved Backyard Habitat’s Silver certification. Then in June 2026, with a final push from Columbia Land Trust staff ,the park reached Gold certification. And it doesn’t stop there, community stewards and city staff are excited to keep working towards Platinum certification for the entire park!
The City of Vancouver’s Naturespaces program has been instrumental in supporting the restoration here. “Behrens Woods became part of the city’s Naturespaces program because of its value to nearby residents,” said Hailey, explaining how the park improves air quality and cools temperatures near Highway 14, and provides access to nature close to multifamily housing. Across Vancouver, the goal of Naturespaces is to build environmental stewardship and community engagement, while fostering healthier ecosystems, healthier neighborhoods, and stronger connections between people and nature.
