Tips, tricks, and a quick peek into the everyday life of the conservation district.
Tucked towards the back of Raising Cane Ranch, beyond their farm stand and Highland cows, you’ll find a food forest filled with chestnut, walnut, and hazelnut trees, black currants, evergreen huckleberries, and aronia berries.
“It’s one of the most peaceful places on the property,” says farm owner, Nick Pate. “I just love working out there.”
Read MoreBack in January/February, a group of brave storytellers joined virtually for a two week training that generated 12 digital stories now known as “Tales of Two Rivers.” This group of stories was split between the Snohomish and the Stillaguamish basins within Snohomish County. On Thursday, June 9, the first of two film festivals was held to feature the Snohomish basin stories.
Read MoreView the two webinars from the spring series of natural yard care for the City of Everett.
Read MoreWe had one of our very own hometown heroes representing Snohomish County at the 2022 Washington State Envirothon competition. The team from Sequoia High School in Everett was one of the winners of the regional competition in March, and they went on to compete at the state competition in May!
Read MoreThe Puget Sound region is one of the fastest growing urban population centers in the United States, and the added concrete, metal and other impervious surfaces, coupled with tree loss, has increased stormwater runoff.
Read MoreNothing beats an in person, hands on environmental learning experience! Read more about the Northwest Regional Envirothon competition held at Brightwater Education Center.
Read MoreHaystack Creek, with its plentiful vegetation and woody debris, has enough organic matter to delight any fish looking to spawn. Tony Peterson, who lives just outside of the city of Sultan, has always loved this creek bordering his farmland where he has a small cattle operation.
Read MoreIt’s no surprise that we get a lot of rain—the Pacific Northwest is a temperate rainforest, after all. How we manage that rain once it hits the ground is important, especially in our region, where we’re experiencing rapid growth. In many places, the pervious soil of forests, farms, and undeveloped land is being replaced with impervious surfaces like roofs, roads, and parking lots, which can lead to increased flooding and water pollution.
Read MoreIf you’re driving along State Route 530 towards Darrington, you might overlook a quiet creek nestled beneath the mountains. Don’t let its small stature fool you, however. Ashton Creek holds something of immense value: cold water.
Read MoreStudies have proven what many of us have suspected for a long time: planting trees in urban areas measurably improves quality of life and overall health of the residents living in those spaces. However, these trees have another secret benefit. Urban trees can also play a vital role in addressing stormwater problems.
Read MoreToday, we often think of forests as places to harvest trees, pass through, or leave untouched for wildlife. But growing and harvesting crops within a forest in a sustainable way doesn't just add the possibility of new income streams.
Read MoreWhen you think of our native bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), you might picture a mossy trunk with delicate licorice ferns. You probably don’t think of maple syrup. Particularly, one with a “bold and buttery flavor that has hints of vanilla and molasses.”
But that's how Patrick Shults, Extension Forester for Southwest Washington—along with many others—describe the taste of this specialty syrup.
View the 2022 winners of the 5th Youth Art Contest, and then vote for your favorite — The People’s Choice Awards.
Read MoreOur resident agroforester Carrie Brausieck has been researching, implementing, and educating on agroforestry in the region for over half a decade, but it’s only been the past two years that agroforestry has become widely noticed.
“We’re the only organization in the state that has an agroforestry program and a person on staff with an agroforestry title,” Carrie said. “Our program is leading the way for this innovative land use within our county and throughout the state.” Read on to learn about the work we've been doing in agroforestry.
In recent years, local interest in community gardens—and the need for them— has increased significantly. Our Urban Agriculture team has been happy to support this growing trend.
Read MoreMany new farmers start with a dream and a willingness to work hard. However, transforming those dreams into a successful reality is often the challenge. Kari Parks is now the proud owner of Flourish Organic Farms, but like many of her fellow farmers, figuring out how to build a profitable, sustainable business has been a journey.
Read MoreWe’re called the Evergreen State for a reason— more than half of Washington is forested. Small forest landowners can play a vital role as stewards of this critical resource and they now have access to education and technical assistance from professional foresters, thanks to the Regional Forestry Pilot Program.
Read MoreImagine three farms, each very different, but all with something in common... Read on to learn about a unique approach to agroforestry that will give you even more reasons to love native plants!
Read MoreHow do you manage your forest for both economic and ecological benefits? Snohomish Conservation District partnered with the Northwest Natural Resource Group to provide a comprehensive and hands-on day of learning about ecological forestry, a holistic system of forest management that encompasses the health of not just the trees, but the health and biodiversity of all aspects of the forest.
Read MoreRegister for the whole series, or pick and choose the ones most interesting to you!
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Snohomish Conservation District | 528 91st Ave NE, Lake Stevens, WA 98258 | 425-335-5634
