The wetland at Zenger Farm is part of the Johnson Creek Watershed, a 52-square mile area that flows 26 miles from its headwaters near the Sandy River to its confluence with the Willamette River, passing through four cities (Gresham, Portland, Milwaukie, and Happy Valley) and two counties (Clackamas and Multnomah). The health of the wetland impacts fish spawning as well as microinvertebrates populations, amphibians, birds, other wildlife and the surrounding environment.

Zenger Farm offers youth the opportunity to understand the important role they play as stewards of their environment while learning valuable scientific lessons. During the 2014-15 school year, 870 5^th– graders from David Douglas School District conducted water quality testing and invertebrate monitoring in the wetland as part of inquiry based STEM lessons at Zenger Farm.

Community members are critical to the restoration of the Zenger Farm wetland. Over the past five years, more than 30,000 volunteer hours have been spent conducting watershed restoration and maintenance at Zenger Farm. Volunteers remove thistle, blackberry, and lesser celandine from the farmland and buffer zone to prevent it from creeping into the protected area.