🌿🌧️ Creek Week 2026: Fairview Neighbors Expand Rain Garden and Plant Roots for the Future 🌧️🌿

Last week, the Fairview community showed up, shovels in hand and sleeves rolled up, for Creek Week 2026 at the Dorothy N. Johnson Community Center. The event brought together neighbors, youth, and local partners, collaborating to expand the existing rain garden and plant native species across the center's grounds.

What Is Creek Week? Creek Week is an annual community event focused on the health of local waterways. This year's workshop gave participants a chance to go beyond awareness and take direct action, improving green infrastructure on a site that serves as a gathering place for the Fairview community.

Learning While Doing Education was woven throughout the event. Participants of all ages learned about the role that native plants and rain gardens play in filtering stormwater runoff, reducing erosion, and supporting local biodiversity. For many youth participants especially, it was a chance to connect classroom concepts to real, tangible change in their own neighborhood.

A Cross-Sector Collaboration This kind of community-driven environmental work doesn't happen in isolation. Creek Week was made possible through the continued partnership of:

• 🌿 Town of Hillsborough Stormwater & Environmental Services

• 🔬 Outdoor Science Labs

• 🏘️ Fairview Community Watch

• 🏠 Habitat for Humanity of Orange County

Together, these partners bring expertise, resources, and shared commitment to Fairview's long-term well-being, all through the Communities on the Move initiative.

Events like Creek Week is one piece of the larger Activate! Fairview Active-Living Plan, a community-driven blueprint for building a Fairview that is safe, active, and connected.

The event was also spotlighted on the Hillsborough Stormwater & Environmental Services Facebook page. Watch the recap here.