Who are we?

The natural beauty and ideal location of Token Creek Watershed has long been an attractive place for people to live, work, and play and continues to be a place of tremendous population and urban growth. In March 1997 a group of local residents concerned about potential changes to the creek and the surrounding land organized a gathering of watershed community stakeholders to agree upon strategies for caring for the scenic, recreational and environmental qualities of the area. Forum attendees included farmers, developers, business people, local government representatives, educators, new residents, and long-time landowners. An essential part of the Token Creek Forum came when the participants were asked to remember the past and then recognize current trends. In this way, the participants created a common past and a shared understanding of present trends. From that common ground, the watershed residents collaborated to envision a future in the watershed that they would want for their children. They arrived at common themes to work toward, including the desire for trail and bike path links, improved water quality, intergovernmental collaboration, and enhanced public spaces. Five citizen work groups were formed to address these common goals and issues of concern. Most importantly, the participants established a new community, a watershed community, and the Token Creek Watershed Association was born. In 2023 the group was rebranded as the Friends of the Token Creek Watershed and the passion to protect, enhance, and restore the natural resources of the watershed continues.