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Orca Recovery Day Events Throughout the Region
While KCD's volunteer event along Covington Creek is already at capacity, many other organizations will be hosting events around King County and beyond. To get involved, visit the Orca Recovery Day website to find an event near you.
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Meet Rosa Méndez-Perez
Rosa Méndez-Perez is diving right in to her new role as KCD Executive Director. Rosa took the helm of KCD on September 20.
“Rosa's passion for environmental justice and her commitment to serving all communities to create a healthier place to live will guide her future work at KCD. We are very excited to have her leadership as KCD looks toward the future,” says KCD Board Chair Kirstin Haugen.
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KCD Native Plant Sale
Save these key dates for the upcoming Native Plant Sale and download these handy calendar reminders!
Native Plant Sale Online Store Opening in November:
  
Plant Sale Pickup at Tukwila Community Center in March 2022:
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KCD Seeks Board Supervisor Candidates
KCD will hold a Board of Supervisors Election in early 2022. Supervisors help steer KCD and the important conservation work we do. It is important to us that our board reflects the diversity of King County and its conservation needs. If you think that your voice can help KCD build clean water, healthy forests, and strong local food systems, consider applying to run in the 2022 Board Election.
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Save the Date: NW Envirothon High School Competition
Washington State Envirothon is an annual environmental and natural resource competition for high school students organized by Washington Conservation Districts. Teams of students compete in five natural resource topic areas, engage with diverse environmental issues, and learn from natural resource professionals.
King Conservation District (KCD) is recruiting King County educators and high school students interested in participating in this year’s NW Regional competition. The 2022 Northwest Regional Envirothon competition will be held in person on March 24, 2022, at the Brightwater Environmental Education Center in Woodinville.
If you are interested in learning more or forming an Envirothon team, contact Rosie McGoldrick, 206-379-5258.
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Poverty Bay–Vashon Island Septic Maintenance Rebate Program
King County is offering a rebate of up to $300 for septic maintenance activities performed in the project focus areas of Northwest Vashon Island and Poverty Bay. KCD is administering the rebate for the County. Eligible maintenance includes maintenance inspections, riser installation, and pumping. You can receive $200 toward a septic system inspection, $50 toward a riser installation (up to 2 per property), and/or $100 toward septic tank pumping. All work must be performed by a King County certified provider.
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Do you work with beginning farmers?
American Farmland Trust (AFT) is recruiting a cohort of agricultural service providers in Washington State who currently – or plan to – work with beginning producers on issues related to land access. Beginning in late January 2022, participants in their Pacific Northwest Farmland for the Next Generation 8-part training series will gain foundational skills and expertise needed to provide impactful technical assistance to beginning farmers and ranchers around finding, assessing, and securing land to farm.
Topics will include systemic barriers to land access, financial readiness, finding and assessing land, leasing and purchasing land, and non-traditional land access strategies, as well as skill areas including active listening and coaching, working across cultural and linguistic differences, and facilitation.
The audience focus for this training includes Conservation District and land trust staff, agricultural educators, Extension faculty, county and state agency employees working in agriculture and land protection, agricultural realtors, appraisers, and lenders, and anyone who regularly trains, coaches, or mentors beginning farmers and/or ranchers in formal or informal ways.
AFT recognizes that farmers and ranchers who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), as well as producers from other marginalized groups, face systemic and institutional barriers to accessing land. Pacific Northwest Farmland for the Next Generation training participants will examine those barriers, reflect on how white privilege and power dynamics can manifest in a technical assistance relationship, and explore ways to specifically support BIPOC producers in navigating challenges to land access.
Approximately 24 service providers will be invited to join the cohort. The selection process will take into account factors such as geography, ability to use the training to serve farmers in the future, and the diversity of the applicants and the farmers they serve. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) folks are encouraged to apply, as well as those working with farmers who identify as BIPOC.
The deadline to submit applications is Monday, November 15, 2021. Applicants will be notified of their selection status by Monday, December 20, 2021. The 8 training sessions will take place virtually on a weekly basis starting the week of January 31, 2022. There is no cost to participate.
This project is supported by Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education. Project partners include Viva Farms, Washington Farmland Trust, and Ecotrust.
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Spawning Salmon in Lower Newaukum Creek
Green-Duwamish Watershed, WRIA 9
October 2, 2021
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Employment Opportunity: Staff Accountant
King Conservation District is seeking a qualified candidate to serve as Staff Accountant. This position will be open until filled.
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Wildfire Preparedness for Farms
KCD’s Wildfire Coordinator, Matt Axe is partnering with KCD’s farm team to help King County’s Farm community have more access to knowledge about reducing risk of damage from fires. If you missed our recent Wildfire Preparedness for Farms webinar, tune in to the recording on our YouTube Channel..
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Salmon SEEson is HERE!
Fall is coming and salmon will be returning to streams and rivers throughout King County to spawn. The annual Salmon SEEson program runs from late August through November, promoting self-guided salmon viewing sites as well as some hosted events. If you decide to visit a self-guided site near you, please remember to: plan ahead, practice social distancing, wear a mask, leave no trace, and contribute to an inclusive experience for all. Visit the Salmon SEEson website for more information.
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11th Annual Cider Fest!
Saturday, October 9, 2pm–4pm
Freeway Estates Community Orchard
6030 6th Ave NE
(just north of NE 60th, on the West side of I-5)
Buses 26, 45, 62, 67, 73
Masks required. Enjoy the loop for a full tour, including interpretive stops.
Organic cider, homemade pie slices, demonstrations, kids activities, games, and more.
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Mind the GAPS Workshops: Introduction to Produce Safety for Small Farms
Small and diversified fruit and vegetable growers will learn about the basic principles of produce safety. WSDA will help teach about FSMA regulations and market-driven GAP standards. Producers will learn how to grow and handle produce safely, organize their operations, and communicate to buyers more confidently about produce safety practices.
Workshop 1
Tuesday, October 12
6-8pm
Overview of produce safety planning and practices. Register here
Workshop 2
Tuesday, Nov. 9 and Wednesday, Nov. 10
1-5pm each day
Two-day intensive Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course open to farms in King and Thurston counties. Completion of this 8-hour course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement. Only 25 spots are available for this course, and registration must be completed by October 18 for participants to receive the training materials. This course is being offered free of charge by NABC!
For more info, please contact:
Karen Ullmann
Education & Outreach Coordinator
Regional Markets Program
Washington State Department of Agriculture
kullmann@agr.wa.gov 206-714-6125
A third and final Workshop will be offered later in December and focus on the actual writing of produce/food safety plans and/or preparing for GAP certification/inspections, depending on interests of attendees.
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Long Live The Kings Virtual Gala
Big findings have come out of our recently completed Salish Sea Marine Survival Project: from the critical importance of zooplankton to our ecosystem, to the impact that seals have on salmon populations. You'll be treated to stories of both at their Virtual Autumn Gala on Thursday, October 14, 5-6pm. Throughout the program on the 14th there will be opportunities for you to help salmon survive by making a gift or bidding in our online auction which opens early on Tuesday, October 12. Auction offerings include golfing at Flatstick Pub, beautiful ceramics handcrafted by Orcas Island potters, and two Alaska Airlines tickets to anywhere they fly.
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KCD Farm Tour: Mud, Manure and Pasture Management
Join KCD and Horses for Clean Water on October 23 at 10am for a farm tour in Enumclaw and learn how to effectively manage mud, manure, and pasture for the upcoming winter season. Location will be provided upon registration.
Space is limited due to COVID-19 considerations. If spots are full, please sign up for our waitlist on EventBrite.
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King-Pierce Farm Bureau Annual Meeting
King-Pierce Farm Bureau's annual meeting is scheduled for November 1 at Kelley Farms in Bonney Lake. Members should reach out to the KPFB Board for more information. If you're interested in joining or learning more about KPFB, visit their website. Also, Washington State Farm Bureau will be holding its annual meeting on November 15 in Yakima.
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KCD Webinar: Winter Pasture Management
It’s time to get pastures ready for the upcoming wet, cold, and dark months. On November 3 at 6pm, learn what you can do this winter to keep your livestock healthy, reduce mud, manage manure, and lay the groundwork for greener pastures with less weeds next spring.
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KCD Webinar: Benefits and Beauty of Landscaping with Native Plants
Join King Conservation District on November 18 at 6pm for a FREE native plant webinar with Jacobus Saperstein, native plant expert. The talk will cover the countless benefits that native plants provide for landscape aesthetics, wildlife habitat, water quality and more!
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Do you know of an event to highlight on KCD’s Partners’ Events page? Please let us know.
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At King Conservation District, we’re all about Better Ground. Better Ground means taking important stewardship actions at home and in our communities to create healthy soil and water, to provide healthy food, and to conserve land, water, forests, wildlife and related natural resources. And you don’t have to go at it alone. You have a partner, your local conservation district.
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