Wildfire Ready Neighbors

On this month's episode of Conservation Starters, we are joined by Senior WSU Extension Coordinator & Educator, Erica Guttman and Native Plant Salvage's Learning & Outreach Coordinator, Cameron Dunn. During our time together we dive into the wonderful world of hedgerows! We discuss the benefits of adding hedgerows to your landscape and walk through the amazing hedgerow toolkit Erica and Cameron have recently developed. We chat about our ongoing partnership and discuss upcoming ways to learn more about this exciting work. Tune in to hear more of this inspiring conversation!

Resources:

• Upcoming Events
• Hedgerow Toolkit
  • How-to Handbook
  • Videos
  • Toolkit Resources
• Hedgerow Webinar Recording
• Native Plant Salvage

 On this month's episode of Conservation Starters, we are joined by Davy Clark, Nisqually River Education Project Program Director and Tristan Olson, Nisqually River Council Program Coordinator. Together we jump in and explore the Nisqually River Watershed. We discuss how each of their partnered organizations are working towards creating a healthier watershed, that restores ecosystems functions, promotes sustainable resource use, and creates ongoing educational opportunities. Davy and Tristan also share ways community members of all ages can get involved in creating a healthy Nisqually River Watershed.  

Resources:

• Contact Info - info@nisquallyriver.org or 360-438-8715
• Social Media - @nisquallyriver
• https://nisquallyriver.org/
• Nisqually River Watershed Stewardship Plan
• Citizens Advisory Committee
• Nisqually River Council Meetings
• Nisqually Stream Stewards
• Nisqually River Education Program

On this month's episode of Conservation Starters, we are joined by TCD's Executive Director, Sarah Moorehead. Sarah is back on the podcast to discuss what TCD has been up to over the last two years and what we can expect to see in TCD's future. We discuss our upcoming move, big organizational goals, funding priorities, and exciting new projects. Sarah lets our listeners in on big updates and even participates in a fun rapid fire question session.

Resources:
Learn more about our two day upcoming Growers Conference
Become a TCD Board of Supervisor Member

 On this month's episode of Conservation Starters, we are joined by Patrick Shults, WSU Extension Forester and resident agroforestry expert! Together, we discuss the growing popularity of agroforestry, a practice blending agriculture and forestry practices. We dive into the types of emerging agroforestry practices and discuss what benefits were seeing for not only our environment, but for our local farmers too.

Resources:

• Patrick Shults, WSU Extension Forester, patrick.shults@wsu.edu
• Check out agroforestry resources here.
• Check out Patrick's podcast Forest Overstory here.
• Sign up to receive TCD's newsletter here.

On this month's episode of Conservation Starters, we are joined by Lindsey Swardz, owner of Four Ginger Farm, and Marguerite Abplanalp, Thurston Conservation District's Agricultural Program Manager. Together, we discuss how the changing weather can negatively impact an agricultural landscape. We also talk about cost-effective ways farmers and home gardeners can prepare their landscape for the winter rain. Lindsey breaks down the projects she and TCD have implemented on her property and shares how these have benefited her operation!


Resources:
Visit www.thurstoncd.com to reach out to our staff to learn about ways you can improve your wintertime agricultural operation.
Learn more about the Voluntary Stewardship Program (VSP) here.

On this month's episode of Conservation Starters, we are joined by Shina Wysocki, owner of Chelsea Farms and Chelsea Oyster Bar, and Stephanie Bishop Thurston Conservation District's South Sound GREEN Program Manager. Together, we dive into the effects of ocean acidification on our local shellfish population. We also discuss the importance of our local shellfish farms for both our economy and the health of our environment. Both Stephanie and Shina share ways local community members can support shellfish farmers and help improve our region's water quality.

This month on Conservation Starters, we're joined by Dr. Pamela Braff, Director of Climate Programs at the City of Olympia, Linsey Fields, Climate and Sustainability Coordinator at the City of Lacey, and Alyssa Jones Wood Sustainability Coordinator at the City of Tumwater. Together, we go over climate change basics and highlight why climate change is a topic of discussion in our growing community. We talk about Thurston County's Climate Mitigation Plan and how multiple jurisdictions, partners, and community members came together to create a comprehensive plan. Pamela, Linsey, and Alyssa also discuss how this plan is beginning to be implemented and give tips on how listeners can be more climate-resilient in their day-to-day lives.

Resources:
Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan
Annual Climate Mitigation Collaborative Retreat Summary
Climate Action Venn Diagram
Learn more about becoming a Climate Advisory Workgroup Member (Coming soon)
Energize Olympia
Olympia Climate Program
City of Lacey Sustainability & Resiliency Efforts
City of Tumwater Sustainability Efforts
Thurston County Climate Change Efforts

This month on Conservation Starters, we're joined by Jae Townsend, TCD's Education & Outreach Assistant, and Jennifer Coe, Department of Natural Resource's Western Washington Community Resilience Coordinator. We delve into why wildfire is something communities on the west side of the State should be preparing for. We also talk about DNR's Wildfire Ready Neighbors program and the impact it's making in our local community. Jae and Jennifer break down simple actionable steps listeners can take to protect their homes from the threat of wildfire and discuss how working together as neighbors can have a lasting impact on the Thurston County community. Tune in to learn more!

Resources:

• Jae Townsend, jtownsend@thurstoncd.com
• Jennifer Coe, Jennifer.Coe@dnr.wa.gov
• Wildfire Ready Neighbors (WFRN)
• WFRN Home Assessment Sign-up
• Firewise
• DNR Community Wildfire Resilience Resource Library
• OSU Fire-resistant plant guide

This month on Conservation Starters, we're joined by TCD staff, Nora Carman-White, Karin Strelioff, and Marguerite Abplanalp. Together, we sit down to answer our listener's questions! We break down a few of the best ways to create healthy salmon habitat on streamside property, how to successfully make compost, and when it's the right decision to get your soil tested. We also discuss the answers to a few of our most frequently asked questions like, "How does TCD's financial assistance program work?" and  "I just moved to Thurston County, where do I begin ?". This episode is a run-down of the many ways TCD is here to help YOU! Tune in to learn more. 

Resources:

• Nora Carman-White, nwhite@thurstoncd.com
• Karin Strelioff, karin@thurstoncd.com
• Marguerite Abplanalp, mabplanalp@thurstoncd.com
• Thurston CD's Online Resources
• Thurston County Master Gardeners
• Burke Herbarium
• Book Recommendations: Weeds of the West, A Field Guide to Grasses of Oregon and Washington, Plants of the Pacific Northwest

This month on Conservation Starters, we're joined by Becca Anderson, Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) Small Farms & Urban Ag Specialist. Together, we discuss how urban agriculture differs from "big ag" and how folks in our community are coming up with innovative ways to grow food on small tracks of land. Becca also talks more about NRCS and what type of technical and financial assistance they are able to offer producers, big and small! We also talk about how NRCS is prioritizing working with and supporting historically excluded and underserved populations. Tune in to learn more!

Resources:
Becca Anderson, Rebecca.Anderson@usda.gov
NRCS Service Center Locator
NRCS Urban Agriculture
NRCS WA Environmental Quality Incentives Program
NRCS WA Conservation Stewardship Program
Limited Resource Farmer/Rancher Self-Determination Tool

Submit your "Ask the Expert" questions to Kiana Sinner, ksinner@thurstoncd.com