Delaini Disher’s photo, “Well-Attended Field Demonstration” captures the use of livestock in sustainable farming, highlighting the importance of biomass collection from a grazed cover crop field.
Mckenzi Coleman's "Exclusion Fence" photo highlights the enduring value of exclusion fencing as a tool for protecting natural resources like salmon streams and safeguarding livestock.
The winning photo from the conservation district calendar contest highlights hands-on salmon education.
Grays Harbor Conservation District secured over $355K to expand its water quality outreach programs, focusing on riparian stewardship and community education.
Spokane Conservation District's sustainable agriculture programs, which protect waterways and promote farming innovation, recently received national recognition from the EPA
The Crop Talks series provides local farmers with networking and educational opportunities to share sustainable farming practices.
Hosting an educational event for second graders, Ferry CD is engaging them in hands-on conservation activities, from planting seeds to building erosion-prevention devices.
King County’s new Planning for Beavers Manual uses beaver activity to improve habitat restoration projects, enhancing biodiversity and supporting water quality.
Okanogan Conservation District staff, alongside property owners Anne MacDonaugh and Cheryl McGinley, are working to restore the Lightning Creek Watershed following the 2021 Walker Creek Fire.
Farm planners Chase O'Neil and Louise Margaret of Snohomish Conservation District work together on soil sampling, an essential practice for assessing soil health and supporting sustainable land management.
Partnering with Cascade Christian High School students, Pierce Conservation District completed a four-day restoration project, clearing invasive plants and preparing the area for new growth.
King Conservation District uses reclaimed water to grow native plants for restoration, improving salmon habitat and conserving resources.
Jefferson County Conservation District’s planting event in the Upper Tarboo Wetlands brought families together to restore habitat, inspiring conservation across generations.
Pend Oreille Conservation District grows native plants to restore riparian habitats and stabilize streambanks, improving water quality and ecosystems.
Wahkiakum Conservation District assisted local land managers in designing and installing wood-based structures to prevent bank erosion and restore riparian habitat, with funding from SCC's Salmon Recovery Funding.
Walla Walla Conservation District, in partnership with Tri-State Steelheaders and WWCC Water & Environmental Center, hosted a workshop to help teachers integrate environmental science topics like macroinvertebrates, riparian ecology, and hydrology into their classrooms.
Thurston Conservation District, in partnership with WSU Extension, hosted events at local farms to teach agroforestry practices, where volunteers planted 400 trees and supported long-term ecological health, strengthening community bonds and conservation efforts.
Stevens County Conservation District, in partnership with WSU and WSU Extension, hosted a Tractor and Chainsaw Training Day at the Vetter Demonstration Farm, offering local youth hands-on experience in agriculture and forestry.
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Rock Lake Conservation District worked with a local landowner to install rock toe protection along a half-mile stretch of the Palouse River, successfully preventing erosion and improving water flow after a flooding event.
Pacific Conservation District, in partnership with Grays Harbor Conservation District, has removed 387,399 European green crabs since 2022 to protect Washington's marine ecosystems, collaborating with tribal nations, state agencies, and local partners.
Kittitas County Conservation District, in partnership with the Yakama Nation, is working to restore fish and wildlife habitats, improve water quality, and ensure agricultural water supply through projects in the Upper Yakima River watershed, including pipeline installations and planting trees and shrubs.
King Conservation District’s 2024 native plant sale distributed nearly 70,000 native trees, shrubs, and groundcovers to support restoration projects and promote pollinator-friendly plants across King County.
Foster Creek Conservation District offers a free, overnight camp for middle schoolers every summer, providing outdoor adventures and learning experiences to combat "nature deficit disorder."
Eastern Klickitat Conservation District has successfully conserved 3,000 acres of grazing rangeland through conservation easements, helping to protect vital farm and ranch lands from development with funding from Washington's Recreation and Conservation Office.
Cowlitz Conservation District is stabilizing 1,000 feet of riverbank along the Cowlitz River to prevent erosion, improve water quality, and restore fish habitats with $250,000 in funding from state and local partners.
In 2024, Columbia Basin Conservation District hosted USDA Under Secretary Robert Bonnie for a tour of the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program, highlighting the collaborative effort to address water supply challenges with over $200 million in support.
Asotin Conservation District has assisted 19 landowners in recovering from the 2021 wildfires and 2022 floods by removing damaged fencing, restoring water systems, controlling weeds, and replanting rangeland.
Adams Conservation District helps local land managers install water systems to improve cattle access, pasture use, and ecosystem health in the region's dry shrubsteppe habitat.
Whitman Conservation District, named 2024 Southwest Area District of the Year, achieved remarkable growth in outreach, services, and collaboration, demonstrating resilience and dedication to conservation.
Whatcom Conservation District’s annual expo connects over 600 attendees with farm improvement resources, live demos, seminars, and free tree seedlings, while its Farm Speaker Series offers in-person sessions on soil health, crop yields, and livestock forage.
Spokane Conservation District, with support from the EPA and local partners, engaged students in tree-planting projects in underserved neighborhoods, providing environmental education and college stipends to foster future conservation professionals.
Kitsap Conservation District’s nursery, funded by SCC’s Riparian Plant Propagation Program, supports salmon habitat restoration with over 12,000 native plants. Using innovative gravel troughs and drip irrigation, the nursery achieves a 98% plant survivability rate, showcasing sustainable and efficient restoration practices.
Okanogan Conservation District's wildfire resiliency team has completed over 100 home risk assessments this year, helping the community prepare for and reduce wildfire risks amid worsening drought conditions.
The district took Reardan Middle School students to Audubon Lake for Earth Day, where they learned about local wildlife, birds, plants, and the watershed, promoting environmental education and conservation
SoilCon Field Day, hosted by WaSHI and WSU’s CSANR, provides hands-on learning about soil health. This year’s event showcased a biochar kiln, funded by the Sustainable Farms and Fields program, which transforms waste wood into biochar to improve soil health and sequester carbon.
Franklin Conservation District sponsored a day of the Tri-Cities STEM Career Academy, where students built drones and explored agriculture, food science, and conservation, helping high schoolers explore future STEM careers.
Benton Conservation District removed over half a million pounds of stargrass from the lower Yakima River to improve fish habitat, water quality, and recreation by addressing its harmful impacts on waterways and salmon.
Wheat Week program teaches 4th and 5th graders about wheat, its growth, and its role in our daily lives. Students explore how soil, water cycles, and nutrition connect to this vital crop, fostering a deeper understanding of environmental science.
South Yakima Conservation District, partnering with Mid-Columbia Fisheries and a local land manager, is restoring critical salmon habitat near the Yakima River by addressing erosion, water quality, and invasive weeds through fencing, riparian plantings, and efforts to reestablish a historic cottonwood forest.
Our state has an incredible range of beautiful ecosystems. Mckenzi Coleman of Ferry Conservation District in Julian Bay of Curlew Lake near Republic, Washington filmed a great video showing how her team creates floating wetlands using native plants like Small Fruited Bulrush and Beaked Sedge.
Want a bee-friendly, low-maintenance, and beautiful alternative? A pollinator meadow may be your answer. In partnership with the Water Resources Education Center and Vancouver Bee Project, Clark Conservation District is hosting a fall workshop on converting lawns to pollinator meadows full of native plants and wildflowers.
Making sustainable farming easier for community members Lewis Conservation District has setup no-till drill rental program using funding from the Sustainable Farms and Fields grant program
Hosting a Farm Tool Library, Underwood CD designed to provide conservation-oriented tools like a wheel plow, broadfork, and no-till drill to farmers and gardeners. They have an online system that allows you to easily view tools, check their availability, and make reservations
PCD has six core programs include farm planning and agricultural assistance, water quality improvement, climate resiliency and wildfire preparation to name a few!
Pomeroy Conservation District is helping a local livestock owner by developing infrastructure for a feedlot that will improve cattle management, reduce soil erosion, and enhance plant health, all while utilizing an existing water source and avoiding impact to Lower Deadman Creek.
Pend Oreille Conservation District is restoring over 10,000 linear feet of fish habitat along the Pend Oreille River through ten streambank stabilization projects, supported by over 57 landowners and a local engineer, to protect local fish species and ensure a healthier river ecosystem.
Cascadia Conservation District is restoring stream health and biodiversity by installing over 200 beaver dam analogs, planting 9,000 native plants, and rehabilitating 2 miles of riparian habitat, mimicking the natural benefits of beaver dams to support fish populations and reconnect floodplains.
Central Klickitat Conservation District, through the Wildfire Ready Neighbors program, is enhancing wildfire preparedness by reducing hazardous fuels, conducting home assessments, and educating residents, thereby improving forest health and empowering the community to protect their properties.
Following the 2020 Labor Day Firestorm, Pine Creek Conservation District partnered with land stewards to restore 540 acres of pasture, plant 1,800 trees and shrubs, and rebuild 11 miles of fencing, regenerating wildlife habitat, improving water quality, and supporting local livestock operations.
North Yakima Conservation District's Naches River Water Quality Restoration Project is improving salmonid habitat by planting 10,887 riparian plants and reconnecting 9,500 feet of side channels to cool water temperatures, enhance stream flow, and restore floodplain health.
In partnership with Grays Harbor Conservation District and other key stakeholders, Pacific Conservation District has removed over 387,000 invasive European green crabs since January 2022, protecting Washington’s marine ecosystems and coastal industries from significant ecological harm.
San Juan Islands Conservation District, in collaboration with Coast Salish tribes and local partners, is restoring Garry oak ecosystems by thinning forests, creating nurse logs, producing biochar, and replanting native species, while fostering a skilled local restoration workforce.
South Douglas Conservation District's 115-acre fuels reduction project on Badger Mountain has improved forest health, enhanced wildlife habitat, and increased wildfire resilience, making the area safer for both residents and wildlife.
For 26 years, Benton Conservation District's annual Salmon Summit has inspired local elementary students with hands-on conservation experiences, earning national recognition this year with the Outstanding Stewards of America's Waters Award for Public Education.
Cascadia Conservation District recently received a generous grant from the Confluence Health and Wenatchee Valley Medical Group Community Partnership Fund!
The Youth Education Program at Okanogan Conservation District reached thousands on PreK-12 students each year.
"Poop Smart Clark"— a catchy name for a great program! Clark Conservation District offers funding and resources to support livestock and pet owners, folks living on properties with septic tanks, hunters, fishers, hikers, and more. To date Clark CD has given nearly $30,000 in reimbursements for septic inspections, pumping, and repairs across the East Fork Lewis River and Lacamas Creek watersheds.
Sixteen years ago, SCD began increasing the scope of its forestry work to include urban forest issues. Today, SCD is creating a conservation park in an old quarry where it hosts events, operates a nursery supplying trees for urban planning projects, and works on projects addressing urban forest education, inequality, and fire mitigation. Read the article at here.
Palouse Conservation District team restored an incredible 90+ acres of riparian buffers in 2022. Riparian buffers (native foliage planted along rivers and streams) prevent soil erosion and improve water quality— creating healthier habitats for salmon and other aquatic wildlife.
Palouse Conservation District launched Environmental Exploration Kits at local libraries.
In 2022, Kitsap Conservation District received a Food System Support grant for their Farm to Freezer (F2FR) project.
The San Juan Islands Conservation District (SJICD) is honored to collaborate with the Northwest Indian College in the formation and development of the Coast Salish Guardians Program on the Lummi Reservation.
Cascadia Conservation District Supported residents at the Housing Authority of Chelan County and the City of Wenatchee with bilingual gardening and nutrition education courses. They also identified and linked communities in need of mobile food bank delivery and overcoming language and/or transportation barriers.
When a local Washington conservation district, Cascadia, evaluated the launch plan for a wildfire preparedness program in partnership with a federal agency, they discovered the program wasn’t reaching the intended audience.
Skagit Conservation District's no-till drill has become a crowd favorite due to its minimal soil disturbance, which helps mitigate soil erosion and compaction while enhancing soil organic matter and structure.
Snohomish Conservation District's Wet Feet Farming initiative and Bountiful Buffers program are making waves in the local farming community!
Clallam Conservation District's Dungeness River Levee Setback Revegetation project has restored 43 acres of floodplain habitat.
CREP has changed the landscape in Whatcom County” (Wayne Chaudiere, Whatcom Conservation District). Riparian buffers, such as the one shown in the photo, now span along 132 miles of stream in Whatcom County, forming a panorama of native tree and shrub forests that were just recently open fields or invasive plant species such as blackberry.
Success Story Snapshot: Tucannon River. Voluntary, watershed-based effort leads to increased salmon runs.
Over the past two years, Clallam Conservation District and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe (LEKT) have teamed up to plant conifer trees along the Elwha River, each bringing different resources to the table.
Mason Conservation District leveraged CREP funding to assist landowners along Gosnell Creek with making improvements to salmon habitat and farm practices.
With assistance from Whatcom Conservation District, a farmer enrolled 7.6 acres in CREP planted 3,650 seedlings along 4,500 feet of Kamm Creek.
In this video three farmers discuss their involvement in the creation of an Agriculture Resilience Plan for Snohomish County. Featuring Dan Bartelheimer, Spencer and Karen Fuentes, and Libby Reed.
Jefferson County Conservation District used NRI funding to help 15 landowners restore salmon habitat in Chimacum Creek through removal of reed canarygrass. The overgrowth of grass choked stream flow and contributed to flooding, pollution, and low oxygen levels.
Many farmers want to conserve water, but it can be difficult, risky, and expensive. That's where conservation districts come in. They assist people, like Nestor Garcia from Blue Gem Farms, with making changes that work on-farm and benefit water quality and quantity.
Hosts from Washington Grown visit April Joy Farm to learn how Clark Conservation District provides services that help conserve natural resources and keep the farm viable amid rapid development pressure.
Learn about Spokane Conservation District's solution to help fill the largest gap in American history of agriculture — Operation New Mission: Vets on the Farm. A new generation of soldiers are separating from their military life and looking for work in something fulfilling.
Between 2000-03, over 1,700 acres of shellfish harvest area in Dungeness Bay were downgraded due to bacterial pollution. Today, thanks to a voluntary and community-driven effort to identify and correct sources of water pollution, the Bay has seen improvements and re-openings of shellfish harvest areas.
North Yakima Conservation District works with landowners and ranchers to formulate effective, voluntary solutions to help stabilize Ahtanum Creek, as well as keep farmland viable.
Learn how conservation districts and dairies work together to find innovative solutions that take care of natural resources, take care of animals, and keep Washington dairies viable so we have access to local dairy products in our stores. Features Whatcom Conservation District and Twin Brook Creamery. Aired during Season 7/Ep. 8 of Washington Grown.
