Posts by WMSWCD Admin
My First Garlic Mustard Season (during quarantine)
By Cole Carr, GIS & Field Conservation Intern A global pandemic hits, putting the world in quarantine. The streets of Portland are at a standstill, minus the occasional bicyclist. What does that mean for a soon-to-be college graduate? Three months of doom, doing homework, staring longingly out the window? There’s no time for that, not…
Read MoreGearing up for Garlic mustard
Conservation staff are getting ready for this season’s invasive weed field work. Garlic mustard is at the top of our list again this year for special attention. Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is an aggressive invasive species in the Pacific Northwest. Originally introduced in North America for culinary uses, it has escaped cultivation to become a…
Read MoreSpring forest maintenance in the Tualatin Mountains
(Photo: Ivy vines cut from a tree.) Spring inevitably brings on the urge to get outside and work the land. Our forest and habitat restoration work often encompasses invasive species control, planting of native trees and shrubs, and control of any competing vegetation that might threaten our desired plants. This spring, we encourage you to…
Read MoreFormer holly orchard will nourish a new forest
Guest post by Laura O. Foster In a blue-sky week in early November, a Rayco track mulcher began chewing up mature holly trees in a 13-acre orchard on McNamee Road. With the last commercial harvest from the orchard almost 10 years prior, the property owner, Dr. Ivan Law, had decided to repurpose his land. “I…
Read MoreUnderstory Seeding Project Update
Two of our conservation staff – Michael Ahr, Forest Conservationist, and Laura Taylor, Conservationist and Education Coordinator – are in the second year of a forest understoryUnderstory The area under and around trees seeding pilot project that kicked off in September of 2017. We are working on trial sites with eight landowners in the Tualatin…
Read MoreSturgeon Lake Restoration Project Dedication
In June, alongside many partners in the Sturgeon Lake Restoration Project, we celebrated the completion of the decades-long project to reconnect Sturgeon Lake to the Columbia River. West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District and partners restored a stream system that allows natural flow from the Columbia River through Dairy Creek channel into the lake…
Read MoreAre you ready for fire season?
Hot and dry summer weather will be here before we know it, so here are a few tips for keeping your property free from fire hazards. Practicing good vegetation management near the home is an important first step, taking care of trees and shrubs, and keeping the lawn mowed. Prune back any branches that hang over…
Read MoreGot turtles?
If you have turtles in your pond, wetland or other slow-moving water on your property, lucky you! Both species of Oregon’s native turtles are uncommon, and it’s hard for them to find suitable habitat. You’ll want to make sure the conditions you provide for them stay suitable or even improve. The Oregon Native Turtle Working…
Read MoreYou can help eradicate Garlic mustard
Spring is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to start thinking about the weeds that might be popping up in your yard this year. While some kinds of weeds might be an unsightly nuisance, there are others that need special and urgent attention as they pose a huge risk to ecosystem health.…
Read MorePlanting for Pollinators
Pollinator populations, which include a wide variety of insects, such as butterflies, beetles, and bees, and some birds and bats, have severely dropped over the past few decades. Because these species are necessary for the reproduction of over 70% of the world’s flowering plants, including two thirds of the world’s edible and industrial crops, it…
Read MoreYour Soil Is Alive!
Over one billion living organisms live a teaspoon of soil! Most of us think of soil as a chemical sponge – nothing but a temporary holding tank for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. But soil is a living thing. As you stand in your garden, you are literally standing on trillions of living creatures. Entire ecosystems…
Read MorePlanting for Erosion Control
Erosion is the process that occurs when soil and other land matter is disturbed by either human activity or natural conditions such as extreme weather. When land erodes, it is carried from its original location into streams and rivers, where it disrupts spawning areas, pollutes water, and reduces flood channel capacity. In addition to creating…
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