Tips, tricks, and a quick peek into the everyday life of the conservation district.
Soil temperature mirrors air temperature. So instead of putting a thermometer in the ground, you can use a formula called “T-Sum 200” to track soil temperatures indirectly and determine when grass will begin to grow.
Read More2015 was another exciting and productive year here at the Snohomish Conservation District. We have enjoyed our opportunity to engage with such a diverse and committed set of landowners and partners. The accomplishments for 2015 are based upon and driven by the willingness of private landowners and managers to actively manage the natural resources they control. Additionally, the accomplishments for 2015 are significantly impacted via project collaborations with partners. We sincerely thank everyone that has made a positive contribution and impact on natural resource management this past year.
Read MoreIt can’t be any fun to sit at your kitchen table and watch the soil on the hillside above your backyard slowly slide down and envelope your house and garage. Not only is it not fun, it can be stressful knowing the foundation of your house and garage are surely rotting from wet soil and the constant pressure of soil creeping downslope.
Read MoreLocation: Woods Creek Watershed
Week's Activity: Livestaking Willows, Dogwoods, and Cottonwoods.
Read MoreThe 31st Annual Native Plant Sale is now open.
Read MoreFrom pasture to potatoes, and pumpkins to hay, lime is more often than not a key component in creating the ideal soil for our current agricultural activities. Without the addition of lime, native soils are usually too acidic for many of the crops we want to grow.
Read MoreIf you want to help those affected by the Okanogan Complex fire, firefighters and/or locals, here is information on what is needed and who to contact, from Craig Nelson of the Okanogan Conservation District. Please share this so that we can help our neighbors to the east as much as possible!
Read MoreWe were blown away by the number of submissions and the sheer enthusiasm for our first Lawns to Lettuce Un-Contest! Thanks so much to Garden Nursery - Arlington Co-op Supply In and to all our participants.
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Description: The Snohomish Conservation District crew is based at the county's native plant nursery in Lake Stevens. The crew works on a wide variety of projects including riparian habitat restoration, volunteer supervision, construction projects (fish passage/large wood), fencing projects, outreach workshops/fairs, one or more rain garden/LID project, one NGPA project, one or more agricultural and forestry BMP construction and NRCS practice specification training. Members will complete one-on-one shadowing days with Farm Planners, Engineers, Water Quality, LID and Habitat Restoration Specialists to gain skills and experience in site assessment and design, engineering surveys, landowner education, construction supervision, GIS.
Projected Start Date: October 5
To kick off the program, we want to hear from you-- and you can earn prizes for sharing!
Read MoreKelly and Dan Munro, owners of Grateful Pine Farm, purchased a 17-acre commercial horse property in Snohomish. Learn more about her approach to managing land for horses, and her new commercial horse boarding/training facility.
Read MoreThe Snohomish Conservation District is proud to announce the launch of our new Lawns to Lettuce Program! The goals of this latest effort are to encourage landowners to convert a portion of their lawn to growing edibles, and to highlight landowners who’ve already done so.
Read MoreDownload this great new Tips on Land & Water Management for Puget Sound Rural Living guide.
Read MoreJoin your neighbors in having trees planted along Woods Creek and receive this special Steward sign to proudly display on your property!
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Thank you to everyone who joined us in Mukilteo on April 1st for our Better Ground Showcase. We enjoyed meeting new people and reconnecting with our friends and partners.
From the talented group of young musicians who helped create the festive atmosphere at the beginning to the dedicated award winners who were honored for their incredible work, it was great to see so many wonderful examples of people celebrating local efforts to plant trees, produce healthy food, protect habitat and keep water clean and healthy for fish.
Everyone seemed to enjoy seeing so many young people being honored, from the environmental youth leaders to an innovative young farmer, we all felt hope for the future. Honoring lifelong environmental leaders like Barbara Brock beside students who are growing food, enhancing habitat and teaching their peers was especially enlightening. We look forward to another great year of working with our partners, residents, schools, and others to create better ground for all. If you would like to view the video about this year’s winners, go to this link: https://youtu.be/ASIOe77E9eY.
Katherine Staberow | Sound Home
Katherine has been a huge driver of restoration and stormwater work on her own property and her neighborhood NGPA. She has led projects with enthusiasm, working cooperatively with this group of over 30 properties. Her initiative has been a huge driver in implementing these conservation efforts, as she has brought great enthusiasm and easy communication. In December, Katherine coordinated a volunteer planting event to kick off restoration activities, with over 20 neighbors coming together to plant over 400 plants!
Q: What motivates you to be a good steward of the land?
A: My parents instilled in me at a young age that it is our responsibility to care for the land that God gave us. I grew up in Cle Elum, where our family regularly enjoyed being outdoors – gardening, camping, hiking, biking and boating – and where my parents taught me how to responsibly care for our own 26 acres of land as well as the wilderness we so much enjoyed. When I moved to Western Washington, I quickly recognized the challenges of urban sprawl. When we purchased our home and became a part of suburbia, my husband and I wholeheartedly agreed that we need to be a part of the solution within urban sprawl, rather than contribute to the problem. We further recognize that being a good steward of our land, both here at home and when we are out enjoying the wilderness, is something we want to teach our son as well. We want him, and many generations to come, to be able to enjoy the beauty of our land and recognize it is our responsibility to see that becomes reality. Together, these have strongly motivated me to be a good steward of our land.
Q: What actions have you taken as a steward that you're most proud of and/or that you feel have made the biggest difference?
A: I am proud of the way my family has made being a steward simply a normal way of life for us. I hope our lifestyle demonstrates to and encourages others that it isn’t complicated or difficult to be a good steward of our land; it simply requires intentional decisions that quickly become a normal, wonderful way to enjoy life. The projects at our home and in our neighborhood on which we have partnered with the Snohomish Conservation District are fantastic examples of this that will make an incredible difference literally right here in our backyard.
If you are doing things like reducing fertilizer and planting native plants, you can earn an 'I Love Lake' sign for your yard. We want everyone to know about your good work and build awareness about this community campaign to reduce algal blooms in our lake.
Not ready to get certified, but want to learn more? Take the Pledge & Get a Free 'I Love Lake' Tote Bag!
We hoped you enjoyed our 30th annual Plant 'Sale-abration' as much as we did.
About 40,660 native trees, shrubs and groundcover plants went home with eager folks, and our classes were a popular new addition.
Snohomish Conservation District | 528 91st Ave NE, Lake Stevens, WA 98258 | 425-335-5634
