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West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District | Welcome
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Welcome!

We're here to serve West Multnomah County and Sauvie Island residents with conservation planning, invasive weeds, livestock management, grant funding, habitat restoration, gardens or other issues for which they need assistance.

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Erica Stokes, Education Coordinator, discusses native plant options for the Chapman Elementary Wildlife Habitat Garden.
 
Spring, 2012 water quality sampling at the Gilbert River/Sturgeon Lake

 
WMSWCD Staff, Mary Logalbo & Michael Ahr, along with a number of other volunteers, worked diligently to battle ivy at The Forest Park Conservancy's Day of Stewardship. Mary has created a managment plan for this site, the Cottrell Refuge, where restoration work will continue for the next 10 years.

October planting of native species along the banks of the Gilbert River on Sauvie Island.
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District Manager Dick Springer accepted a $10,000 Governor’s Fund for the Environment Grant for an Agricultural Pesticide Collection Event.

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WMSWCD Videos

Invasive Holly

Invasive Holly

English holly looks nice but it's an invasive species that will sprout all through your property!  Our Urban Conservationist Mary Logalbo will tell you how to get rid of it in the above video.

 

Invasive Blackberry

Invasive Blackberry Video

Invasive Himalayan or Armenian blackberry can be found throughout the Pacific Northwest and takes a little effort to get rid of!

WMSWCD Urban Conservationist Mary Logalbo shows you the easiest way in this video.

News

Thomas Jefferson's Vegetable Garden
A Thing of Beauty and Science      read more >>
 
The latest issue of the Agricultual Quarterly is available!
Find out what has been happening throughout Oregon over the past few months.      read more >>
 
Battling English holly and ivy
Different tactics prevail in Washington and Oregon      read more >>
 
Tackling Invasives in Your Forest
Forest Conservationist Michael Ahr reports on WMSWCD's efforts to manage woodland invasives      read more >>
 
Reporting Invasive Species
Oregon has a new and improved way to report invasive species      read more >>
 
Farmers Market Grants Available
From the USDA      read more >>
 
Ospreys Returning to Portland
Have you seen them? Ospreys are returning to their nests along northwest rivers after spending their winters in Mexico and Central and South America.      read more >>
 
USDA Targets Invasive Pests
April is ‘National Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month;’
New Campaign Urges Public to ‘Leave Hungry Pests Behind’      read more >>
 
Open Source Ecology
DIY modular, affordable farm equipment for the future      read more >>
 
Is Dirt the New Prozac?
Mycobacterium, a bacteria found in soil, offers people a natural lift in mood      read more >>
 
Resistant Weeds Trouble Growers
Overuse of Roundup blamed, but problem bigger, expert says      read more >>
 
A Legacy of Trees
Local timberland owners focus on estate planning
Clark County tree farmers strive to protect themselves, their children and their land      read more >>
 
FREE Chemical Collection Day!
Get rid of all your unwanted farm, business and home chemicals on one day, free-of-charge! It's easy!      read more >>
 
View all news >>
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Calendar

5/19 Urban Watershed Mentors Training
5/20 Blue Heron Wetlands Education Day
5/22 Board Meeting
5/27 Meadowscape Tour
6/2 Backyard Habitat Tour
6/7 Community Natural Areas: Restoration
6/19 Board Meeting
6/23 Urban Watershed Mentors Training
6/25 Course: Discovering Willa. Valley Ag
7/25 Adventure Wild Day Camp
View all calendar events >>
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Newsletter

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Thanks

Mary,

We want to thank you for teaching our Metro Master Gardeners at this year's training. With your help, we continue to deliver high quality educational programs that benefit our Master Gardeners and our communities.

With appreciation,

Wesley Miller, Jordis Yost, Margaret Bayre; Master Gardeners

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Dear West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District,

Thank you for your support fo the North Willamette Women Farmer Network. Your assistance procuring the bus for our trip to the OSU Small Farms Conference was greatly appreciated. Without your help we would not have this important education and networking opportunity.

Hiring the bus provided an excellent venue for these women to network and share their experiences in agriculture. It game them time to further discuss the important concepts they had learned at the Small Farms Conference. Additionally, it made the trip more economical and environmental.

Best,

Kristin Pool

OSU Small Farms Program

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Dear Mary,

We are so excited to move forward on the transformation of invasive (weeds) to native educational garden space at Chapman School. Thank you for all of your action and support. I truly look forward to working with you on this project.

Best,

Rosie Platt & the Chapman Garden Committee

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Tim and I were delighted to receive news about the grant! Obviously, it couldn't
have happened without your advice and direction, and we hope to work with you
and West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation to learn and, with luck,
produce a model project. One "added value" you can already take
credit for is giving Tim the sense that his past efforts and expenditures are
valued. Thanks so much.

Happy Holidays,

Ellen Heltzel 

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"I'd like to thank Erica Stokes of the West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District, who has been brainstorming about how to involve more members of our Northwest Portland community in the garden at Chapman. Thanks to Erica's efforts, Friendly House staff member Ingrid Kraig will be leading children from the Friendly Chaps after school program in garden projects at Chapman on Friday afternoons. Erica has also coordinated with Friendly House to get a group of Spanish speaking Chapman parents involved in volunteering in the garden. I'm very excited about these partnerships. I greatly appreciate Erica's efforts in establishing these connections, and I appreciate the generosity and enthusiasm of the Friendly House staff."

Alice Diffely, Chapman School Garden Coordinator

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 "Mary, I cannot thank you enough for responding to our cry for help and for providing such an amazing support to the project. I am grateful that there might be a way to do some planting that would not require transplants. When I talked to my 1st grade students this afternoon about your visit and our talks of transplanting, they could not quite get why we were willing to "damage" other parts of the forest to make the cleared area better. Right away, they offered to look in their yards for ferns and other plants we might need. Some even say that they would prefer to buy plants than transplant... I loved it!"

Merci,

Laurence Le Mercier
French American School

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John and I want to thank each and every one of you for your work, planning, and execution of the best Earth Day ever!!  I can't tell you how much it meant to our whole family.  Seeing all of the friendly faces... everyone working together to tackle that terrible scourge of the woods, English ivy ... everyone smiling and having fun ... and, on top of it all, having such beautiful weather ... made a day I will never forget.  

Again, thank you all for making this day possible!   It was both very special and productive.   We're off to a great start!  I appreciate each and every one of you!

Best wishes,
Marcy Houle, Author
"One City's Wilderness: Portland's Forest Park."