Soil School

Calling all gardeners– from aspiring to advanced–to Soil School 2026! The event offers 10 sessions taught by experts to learn about how improving soil health improves plant, garden, and habitat health. $35 covers the whole day, including breakfast and lunch. Scholarships are available, see details and registration link below.

Saturday, April 4, 2026 | 8:15 a.m. – 3:05 p.m.
All sessions are in-person
Portland Community College Rock Creek Event Center
17705 NW Springville Rd, Portland, OR 97229

Email eleanor@wmswcd.org to request translation or accessibility services.

Agenda for Soil School 2026

Doors open 8:15 - 8:45 am: Check-in and breakfast.
Please make sure you have received a confirmation email from us after your registration. There will be no on-site registrations.

Welcome and Opening Session 8:45 am: It’s ALL about SOIL! with James Cassidy, Oregon State University

Breakout Session 1, 10:15 am

• Soils 101, with Scott Gall, West Multnomah SWCD
• What's Your Garden Future? Adapting to a Changing Climate with LeAnn Locher, OSU Extension

Breakout Session 2, 11:20 am

• Supercharge Your Soil with Composting, with Michael Donaghue, Washington County Master Gardeners
• Tribal Land Management Throughout Time, with Michael Karnosh, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Lunch served 12:15 pm

Breakout Session 3, 1:05 pm

• From Fertilizer to Living Soil: Simple Ways to Read Your Garden’s Health and the Science Behind Them with Erica Hernandez, Portland State University
• Getting to the Root of Biology for Native Plants with Cuauhtéhmoc Villa, Ground Culture

Breakout Session 4: Outdoors Session, 2:10 pm

• In the Education Garden with Master Gardeners: Tour of Irrigation, Climate Change, and Native Plants with Washington County Master Gardeners
• Soil Health in Action: Experience the Rainfall Simulator, with Marisa Theve, Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Introduction to Soil Sampling at the PCC Learning Garden with Miriam Latzer, PCC Learning Garden

Soil School Registration: