Upper Willamette Soil & Water Conservation District

08/18/2026

Conservation. "It’s not just for nature. It’s for humans as well. There are a lot of health benefits. Property benefits. We reduce wildfire risk, we reduce risk to homeowners. When we improve water quality through conservation work, that’s water quality that helps bring back salmon and trout and water quality for people to be able to be in the water." - Andrea Kreiner, Oregon Conservation Districts Executive Director

(Fern Ridge photo CC by David Geitgey Sierralupe)

08/17/2026

What's the fuss about invasive plant species? Let's talk about cheatgrass. Like a lot of invasive plants, it's highly flammable. And it's one of the plants fueling those big rangeland fires in Eastern Oregon. It's also present on the west side.

Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is a winter grass native to Europe, southwestern Asia, and northern Africa that grows annually. It has a relatively shallow root system and it's very good at sucking up moisture, making it less available for any native plants around it.

Native plants bring a lot of benefits that invasive don't:

"The native plant community in the shrub-steppe country is built around perennial bunch grasses -- plants like bluebunch wheatgrass, bottlebrush squaretail, Idaho fescue, Thurber's needlegrass, and Sandberg bluegrass.

They all have surprisingly deep root systems that allow them to thrive in this drought-prone landscape. Where they grow undisturbed or in restored areas, these bunch grasses and shrubs support mule deer, elk, big horn sheep, pheasant, chuckar and Hungarian partridge."

Read more here:

https://www.centraloregondaily.com/the-great-outdoors/wasco-county-rangeland-fire-cheatgrass-restoration/article_69d978d7-f815-418a-a87b-393e916ea41f.html

08/14/2026

Oregon State University Extension - Lane County will be holding a compost workshop in Cottage Grove on Sep 5, 2026 from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm at the Community Sharing Garden at 1440 Birch Ave.

For beginning to experienced composters, these hands-on workshops will cover the basics of how composting works, which materials to use, and the different methods and types of compost bins available. Workshops are led by knowledgeable backyard composting information specialists.

For more information about composting and gardening:
Visit or call the OSU Extension Service - Lane County Master Gardener Plant Clinic at 996 Jefferson Street, Eugene Ph: (541) 344-5859
[email protected]



(Photo CC by Dan Silver)

08/14/2026

For farmers or gardeners who are looking to avoid or reduce use of chemicals in their fight against rodents, making friends with some friendly neighborhood barn owls might be just the ticket. Farmers in California have found that putting up owl boxes attracts owl families who can eat more than a thousand rodents in a single breeding season (barn owls are common in Oregon too).

Read more here: https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/10/07/american-barn-owls-natural-rodent-control-in-sonoma-county/

(Photo CC by Bill Gracey)

08/13/2026

On the hottest days of summer, you can give a hand by making watering stations for them. Take a very shallow dish or bowl, add some pebbles and/or sticks to give them a safe place to land and drink, fill it with water, and place it outside. Give it a wash every couple of days.

Oregon is home to more than 800 species of bees. How many different bees do you think you could see at your waterer?

(Photo CC by J. Kehoe)

08/13/2026

OPB has an outstanding article about prescribed burn associations (PBAs), the Indigenous use of fire as a landscape management tool for thousands of years, and how landowners are increasingly forming PBAs and adopting the use of prescribed fire to protect the land and their homes from wildfire.

reports:

"A mix of landowners, organizations and volunteers, PBAs connect people with the equipment, training and labor needed to conduct prescribed burns on their property. The burns destroy the fuel that wildfires need to grow and improve the environment by thinning out underbrush.

Over the years, PBAs have been established in 22 states across the country. In Oregon, nine associations across 26 counties have formed since 2021.

Increased fire activity across the West has spurred interest in these associations, said Chris Adlam, a regional fire specialist at Oregon State University’s Extension Service. Landowners, he said, are feeling more of a sense of urgency about the increasing impacts of wildfires — particularly in drier parts of the state like Eastern and Southern Oregon."

Read more here: https://www.opb.org/article/2026/08/11/mosier-oregon-explores-prescribed-burns/

08/12/2026

Looking for a fun conservation volunteer opportunity this weekend? Mount Pisgah Arboretum invites you to help them clean up trash from the Willamette River banks this Saturday 9am-12pm! It can be really satisfying and community building to get together with other people to care for the landscape.

Please RSVP here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/56v9v27

mountpisgaharboretum

08/11/2026

Lost Valley Education Center & Meadowsong Ecovillage will be holding a Summer Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop on Tuesday, August 18th. Learn practical tips and techniques for summer fruit tree pruning to improve tree health, structure, and long-term productivity. This hands-on workshop will cover when, why, and how to prune for healthy, resilient orchards. Led by Brian Byers, Land Steward at Lost Valley, a permaculture designer, educator, and activist with over a decade of experience.

Free / donation-based!
Register here: https://www.lostvalley.org/communityresilience or visit their page/profile for more information:

08/11/2026

What better time of year to learn the basics of pickling and fermenting? So much great is hitting its peak at local farms, farmstands and farmers markets. Learn how to preserve summer's bounty and support a great cause!

If you’ve always wanted to learn canning, fermentation, or how to make crisp, delicious pickles, this is your sign.

Saturday, August 15
🥒 Foundations of Canning Pickles
Learn safe water-bath canning while making three seasonal pickle recipes inspired by food traditions from around the world.

Sunday, August 16
🥬 Foundations of Fermentation
Make kimchi and salsa while learning the science of fermentation and the techniques behind this time-honored method of food preservation.

Each workshop includes:
✨ A farm-fresh lunch
✨ All ingredients and supplies
✨ Hands-on instruction
✨ Recipes and jars to take home

Your registration also supports the Willamette Farm & Food Coalition’s Summer of FUNdraiser, helping increase access to fresh, local food in our community.

Come for one day—or make it a delicious weekend.

🎟️ Register at www.longtable.farm

Save $20 when you register for both workshops with code PRESERVE20.