OWEB Grants

Spring is finally here and soon the flowering and fruiting plants we've installed at Malinowski Farm will be in bloom.

With the help of grant funding from the state (OWEB) and conservation

Invasive Nutria

planning by WMSWCD staff, crews installed 2,000 trees and shrubs around 2 ponds and in 2 hedgerows. The species in the hedgerows include red flowering currant, Oregon grape, thimbleberry, mock orange, black twinberry, Pacific dogwood, Indian plum, cascara (believed to be relatively uncommon because of historically heavy harvesting of the plant for its laxative value) and Western Serviceberry, which got its name due to the fact that it blooms early when the ground was thawed enough to have burial services.   

After the landowners cleared thickets of blackberry around the ponds, we discovered red-legged frogs and their eggs. Native plant species that like moist soils were planted, such as willows, cottonwood, Oregon ash, western wahoo, ninebark, salmonberry and lots more. Since the farm is organic and herbicides will not be used to control weeds, farmers applied multiple layers of mulch around every newly planted tree and shrub. A female nutria (an invasive rodent species) and its kits, who were happily devouring the new plants, were removed from one of the ponds and a plan is in place to control invasive bull frogs, to make room for native frogs and mammals. Perhaps, we will even see a western pond turtle or a muskrat take up residence now in the newly improved habitat. Life is ever changing on the farm and it's exciting!

If you would like help with a planting project along a rural pond or stream, in a hedgerow, or in a unique upland habitat setting, contact Kammy Kern-Korot at kammy@wmswcd.org or 503-238-4775 x108.