Soil! What it is and how it works

This webinar was the third presentation in our 3-part 2024-2025 Winter Workshop Series, hosted by Underwood Conservation District. This webinar was presented live February 19, 2025, as well as via Zoom. You can also view the slideshow only by clicking here.

Speaker: James Cassidy, Instructor of Soil Science at Oregon State University

It’s ALL about soil! Most people only have a vague idea of what soil is and how it works.  You will learn more than you ever thought possible from this lecture.  The reason you are alive, what nutrients are, how soil stores water and nutrients, the fundamentals that ALL humans on the planet Earth should know! Soils are one of the most essential natural resources on Earth, playing a critical role in sustaining life and supporting our ecosystems. They are the foundation for plant growth, providing nutrients, water, and a stable environment for roots to anchor and hold earth. Healthy soils not only enable agriculture, which is vital for feeding the global population, but they also play a key role in regulating the Earth's climate by storing carbon, filtering water, and supporting biodiversity. Soils serve as a habitat for countless organisms, from microorganisms to larger animals, contributing to a dynamic and interconnected ecosystem. Soil degradation due to human activities—such as deforestation, over-farming, and pollution poses a significant threat to food security, water quality, and climate stability. Therefore, understanding and managing soil sustainably is crucial for the well-being of both present and future generations.

More than Flowers: What Your Landscape Needs to Support Pollinators

This webinar was the second presentation in our 3-part 2024-2025 Winter Workshop Series, hosted by Underwood Conservation District. The third part of this Winter Workshop was done in person only at the Atlan Center and the topic was Biochar. This webinar was presented live January 16, 2025, as well as via Zoom. You can also view the slideshow only by clicking here.

Speaker: Matthew Shepherd, Director of Outreach & Education at Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Flowers are wonderful. A garden wouldn’t be a garden without them. But they are just a starting point for creating a place—whether that is your backyard, park, smallholding, community garden, business landscaping—that can support bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. You need to provide for their entire life cycle, and that means thinking about more than flowers. Matthew Shepherd of the Xerces Society will discuss practical ways in which we can bring diversity into our landscapes and make our neighborhoods into pollinator havens.

Water Rights 101 and Conservation Opportunities

This webinar is the second presentation in a 3-part 2023-2024 Winter Workshop series, hosted by Underwood Conservation District. This webinar was held in-person and via Zoom on January 11, 2024. To view the slideshow only, click here.

Speakers: Tessa Reeder and Ethan Lockwood, Washington Water Trust, and Jon Culp, Washington State Conservation Commission Join Underwood Conservation District, the Washington Water Trust and the State Conservation Commission.

This presentation walks through the basics of water law and water rights, and help identify key features of water rights. The presenters discuss the different programs and resources available to help upgrade irrigation systems, protect and conserve water, including water transactions using the Trust Water Rights Program.

Fire and Flora: Wildfire Resilience in the Central Columbia Gorge

This webinar is the first presentation in the 3-part 2023-2024 Winter Workshop Series, hosted by Underwood Conservation District. This webinar was presented live on Dec. 6, 2023, as well as via Zoom. You can also view the slideshow only by clicking here.

Speakers: Michael McNorvell and Dan Richardson

Fire and Flora: Wildfire Resilience in the Central Columbia Gorge, a presentation about how fire has shaped the beautiful landscapes of southern Washington and share your own experience or concerns living with fire in the Gorge. Learn how to best prepare yourself and your home for wildfire with simple strategies from our UCD fire folks, including making landscapes more fire resilient with proper plans and native plants.

Backyard Biochar: burnpile to soil booster

This is the third and final presentation in the 3-part 2022-23 Winter Workshop Series, hosted by Underwood Conservation District. This webinar was presented live on February 9, 2023, via Zoom.

Speaker: Kelpie Wilson, Wilson Biochar
Learn how to transform a common burn pile into biochar which can be used to improve the health of your soil while simultaneously fixing carbon that would otherwise end up in the atmosphere. Kelpie Wilson of Wilson Biochar will join us to share biochar science and the practical approaches to biochar creation and application.

UCD’s Year in Review - and Sneak Peek of our Future!

This is the second presentation in the 3-part 2022-23 Winter Workshop Series, hosted by Underwood Conservation District. This webinar was presented live on January 12, 2023, via Zoom. You can also view the slideshow only by clicking here.

Speakers: Tova Tillinghast, UCD District Director, and Barbara Bailey, UCD Board Chair

This online presentation will provide an overview and review of UCD’s most recent projects from the past year – a farmland preservation and streambank stabilization project in Trout Lake, a Western pond turtle habitat project, our new Farm Tool Library, Tree of Heaven control work, Wildfire Ready Neighbors outreach, and much more.  We will include an overview of UCD’s Long-Range Planning process, including results of our public survey and what the next 5 years look like for UCD.  There will be plenty of time for discussion and Q&A.

Tree of Heaven - what, why, and how to take action

This is the first presentation in the 3-part 2022-23 Winter Workshop Series, hosted by Underwood Conservation District. This webinar was presented live on December 15, 2022, via Zoom. You can also view the slideshow only by clicking here.

Speakers: Corrie Podolak, UCD; Emily Stevenson, Skamania County Noxious Weed Dept; and Josh Milnes, WA Dept. of Agriculture

This online presentation will include a showing of the UCD’s Tree of Heaven informational short video, a summary of work already accomplished, plans for next steps, and how to identify and report spotted lanternfly (SLF) and emerald ash borer (EAB). Funding for the Tree of Heaven work has been provided by WA Department of Natural Resources Urban Forestry Program and the Columbia River Gorge Coordinated Weed Management Area.

UCD Farm Tool Library Information Session

This introductory meeting to learn more about the UCD Farm Tool Library was held via Zoom on April 14, 2022. You can also view the presentation slides HERE.

The UCD Farm Tool Library is designed to provide conservation-oriented tools, such as a wheel plow, broadfork, and no-till drill, to farmers and gardeners.

farmland succession planning

This is the fourth and final presentation in the 4-part 2021-22 Winter Workshop Series, hosted by Underwood Conservation District. This webinar was presented live on March 24, 2022 via Zoom. You can also view the slideshow only by clicking here. Additional resources shared can be found here.

This workshop is for families who want to plan for the future as land management and ownership is passed from generation to generation. Careful succession planning can avoid common pitfalls and help families create the future that they want for their land. Kate Delavan with the WA State Conservation Commission’s Office of Farmland Preservation will provide an overview of tools, resources, and support for landowners to plan for succession and long-term farmland protection.

carbon Market Access for small forest landowners

This is the third presentation in the 4-part 2021-22 Winter Workshop Series, hosted by Underwood Conservation District. This webinar was presented live on February 17, 2022 via Zoom. You can also view the slideshow only by clicking here.

Join us as we explore opportunities and financial incentives available to forest landowners who are working to make their land more climate resilient while sequestering carbon. Guest speaker Sandy Letzing of Forest Carbon Works will present on their program that pays forest landowners for good management. We’ll also hear from UCD staff about small woodland assessments, reforestation resources and other important avenues for best management available to forest landowners.

the benefits of beaver

This is the second presentation in the 4-part 2021-22 Winter Workshop Series, hosted by Underwood Conservation District. This webinar was presented live on January 20, 2022 via Zoom. You can also view the slideshow only by clicking here.

This collaborative workshop between Underwood Conservation District, Mid-Columbia Fisheries, & the Wishpush Working Group will bring an overview of how beaver can be our allies in watershed improvements, wildfire risk reduction, and climate resilience. Hear about exciting local efforts to enhance beaver habitat, relocate nuisance beaver and how landowners can participate in and support those efforts.

conservation in your own backyard

This is the first presentation in the 4-part 2021-22 Winter Workshop Series, hosted by Underwood Conservation District. This webinar was presented live on December 14, 2021, via Zoom. You can also view the slideshow only by clicking here.

Join us for an evening of Conservation in Your Own Backyard – learn about ways local landowners can address natural resource concerns in their own backyard, helping protect water quality, improve soil and habitat, and creating beautiful landscapes in the process. Learn about a variety of backyard solutions, start designing your own new landscape, and hear how UCD can support you through the new Yard By Yard program. We’ll also welcome Kris Schaedel, a local resident to share her efforts in backyard conservation and hear from special guest Todd Jacobsen with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife on how to ensure you’re providing good habitat for wildlife while also avoiding common wildlife problems.

Stream Restoration: The What, Why & How

This is the first presentation in the 3-part 2020-21 Winter Workshop Series, hosted by Underwood Conservation District. This webinar was presented live on December 10, 2020, via Zoom. You can also view the slideshow only by clicking here.

UCD’s Tova Tillinghast will share an overview of stream restoration and why it is important. The presentation will include a brief summary of fish access and recovery in the White Salmon River and Wind River watersheds, while describing various approaches to and reasons for habitat restoration and enhancement work. Several concepts will be presented about watershed stewardship and how landowners and residents can participate in supporting healthy streams and rivers.

Native Plants for Health & Wellness

This is the second presentation in the 3-part 2020-21 Winter Workshop Series, hosted by Underwood Conservation District. This webinar was presented live on January 7, 2021, via Zoom. You can also view the slideshow only by clicking here.

Presented by Elaine Harvey, member of the Yakama Tribe and the Rock Creek “Kah-miltpah” Band in eastern Klickitat County, participants will have the opportunity to learn about the Plateau Tribes, their history and connection to the land and water, the native plants of the region and their importance to the plateau. Elaine has lived in this region her entire life and learned many of the traditional Yakama medicines and food sources from her late grandmother and other family members. All traditional Yakama foods are considered medicinal foods and bring good health to the people. Elaine’s traditional knowledge combined with her western knowledge brings about a concern for traditional plants and their resilience with climate change. As her elders and ancestors have had reverence for the land and the resources, Elaine carries those teachings and concerns for the environment for all future generations.

Contact information for Elaine Harvey: email: elaine@ykfp.org, or phone: 509-773-3147

Friend or Foe: Common Weeds of the Columbia River Gorge

This is the third and final presentation in the 3-part 2020-21 Winter Workshop Series, hosted by Underwood Conservation District. This webinar was presented live on February 4, 2021, via Zoom. You can also view the slideshow only by clicking here.

Emily Stevenson of the Skamania County Noxious Weed Control Program will present. Participants will receive an overview of common weeds of the area, why they are a problem and what control techniques are most effective. This will be a valuable opportunity to get questions answered about those pesky weeds you’ve been battling before the new growing season of 2021 springs into action.

Emily Stevenson has been the Program Manager for the Skamania County Noxious Weed Control Program for the past seven years. She is passionate about her role as a Weed Warrior, and she also loves native plants, pollinators and other wildlife.