Tips, tricks, and a quick peek into the everyday life of the conservation district.
It’s almost winter, which means we’re knee-deep in the middle of the rainy season. In an average year, Snohomish County gets 35 inches of rain, and most of it falls during these next few months.
All of that rain has to go somewhere and much of it becomes stormwater, traveling across the landscape and eventually into Puget Sound.
Read MoreOctober was Urban and Community Forest Month! To celebrate, Snohomish Conservation District and the City of Marysville hosted a tree-planting ceremony at Comeford Park on Tuesday, Oct. 29.
Read MoreOn Saturday, October 19, we celebrated Orca Recovery Day at beautiful Skykomish River Park. Volunteers of all ages put in the work to install over 75 native plants at the park. These trees and shrubs will help filter stormwater and improve the water quality of the nearby Skykomish River.
Read MoreOur Southern Resident orcas survive primarily on one food source: Chinook salmon. When we think about protecting the health of orcas, one of the most important factors is keeping this food source plentiful for them. Unfortunately, Chinook populations have diminished greatly since the 20th century, leaving Southern Resident orcas searching for food.
Read MoreWild, thorny, and reaching, native Gooseberries harken the promise of life in early spring to birds and insects. Commercial Gooseberries offer the same with early clusters of intricate flowers enticing the bees out of hibernation. In summer, translucent lanterns of fruit offer complex flavors in the field and in the kitchen.
Read MoreIn the not too distant past, indigenous people cultivated openings within surrounding forests. They fostered dappled canopies of fruit and nut trees, sun-loving and shade-tolerant shrubs rich with berries, and medicinal and edible plants, roots, and fungi.
Read MoreBeavers can construct dams that can flood yards and homes, block culverts, and damage trees as they forage for food and building supplies. Yet despite these challenges, there are many ways for property owners to peacefully coexist with beavers and benefit from their presence.
Read MoreThe life cycle success of a salmon depends directly on the water quality of our streams and rivers. They thrive in cold, clean, and clear water. However, in locations along French Creek, which feeds into the Snohomish River, the water is often warmer than it should be for salmon and other fish, particularly during the summer.
Read MoreThis summer, Snohomish Conservation District’s Science Station returned to Camano Island! With help from Washington State Parks, we were able to move our Conservation Station from its old home by the gas pump at Cama Beach to the serene shores of Camano Island State Park.
Read MoreThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a new grant award aimed at supporting climate resiliency projects in Washington State, funded through the federal Inflation Reduction Act.
Read MoreThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is recommending over $200 million in funding for 32 transformational habitat restoration and coastal resilience projects this year, as well as an additional $66 million in funding in future years.
Read MoreWhat does six-foot tall rye mean to you? For Vince Caruso of Caruso Farms, it means experimenting with cover crops.
Read MoreThis is the trip you’ve been waiting for all year: soaking up the sun at Cama Beach on Camano Island. Harbor seals peer at you from between the waves, crabs scuttle along the rocks next to your towel, and a bald eagle soars overhead.
Read MoreThere are nearly 50 species of Bumble Bees in North America, many of which are suffering population declines, but there are actions you can take to help.
Read MoreBow Hill Blueberries co-owner, Ezra Ranz, can list off several benefits of planting a Wet Feet Farming buffer along the slough bordering the farm, but there’s one reason that rises above the rest.
“It’s all for the Bumble Bees,” said Ezra. And he does mean Bumble Bees specifically.
April showers might bring May flowers, but they can also carry lots of pollution in rainwater runoff, which can harm local salmon. We’re thankful for rainy weather because it nourishes plant life and provides us with water to store for the drier summer months. Luckily, we can take action to keep our water clean and our fish healthy.
Read MoreIf you’re an urban resident, it might be hard to believe you can still provide important habitat for wildlife. And if you live in a rural area, the thought of adding plants when you’re surrounded by forest may feel redundant.
Read MoreManure is a constant presence on farms with livestock. Appropriate storage and management of manure allows it to retain the nutrients that make it such an excellent soil amendment. Proper storage also minimizes the risk that those nutrients will end up polluting our local streams, lakes, or well water.
Read MoreHighway 2 follows the braids and bends of one of Washington’s most scenic rivers, the Skykomish. This river isn’t just beautiful, the Lower Skykomish River Reach contains some of the best habitat in the Snohomish River Basin for Chinook and other salmonids.
Read MoreOur region is facing increasingly dry and hot summers. While the warm weather is often a welcome break from the rain, it also increases wildfire risk, especially for communities in urban-wildland interface areas.
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Snohomish Conservation District | 528 91st Ave NE, Lake Stevens, WA 98258 | 425-335-5634
