Benton Soil & Water Conservation District

Happy Parents' Appreciation Day! Today we celebrate all of you who help foster care and curiosity for the world in the next generation. Raising good stewards is tough, but important work! Thank you for all you do 💚

That feeling when you hit "submit" on a survey 🙌

Have you taken our community needs survey yet? This simple, 5-minute survey is a great way to tell us what kinds of services and programs you'd like to see and ways we can help you achieve your conservation goals.

Take the survey now at: https://www.bentonswcd.org/bswcd-community-needs-survey

What is a soil and water conservation district, exactly?

SWCD's were established in response to our nation's massive loss of farmable topsoil during the Dust Bowl. Formed under the Soil Conservation Service, now the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, these "soil conservation districts" aimed to help farmers recover their soils, implement better land use practices, and rebuild America's agricultural system.

Almost 100 years later, conservation districts' efforts have expanded beyond soil to include water, wildlife, native ecosystems, habitat restoration, and much more. Across the nation, there are now almost 3,000 conservation districts - one in almost every county!

Our efforts are funded by your tax dollars, and we're here for you. If you ever need assistance with a conservation project, have questions about your land, or even just want to chat - don't hesitate to reach out. Benton County, we're all yours!

Enjoy your weekend 😎

- invasive plants style!

Have you been seeing this tall yellow flower popping up everywhere lately? You may recognize it as Tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), a common field and roadside w**d that blooms all summer. But did you know that it contains toxic alkaloids that can poison livestock and contaminate water sources? It also outcompetes native vegetation and increases soil erosion.

You'll want to pull this w**d whenever you see it, especially before it goes to seed. You can also help foster its natural enemy: the Cinnabar Moth. Cinnabar moth caterpillars devour tansy ragwort, so if you see this red-and-black insect or its striped larvae, let them do their thing.

Did you know that greenhouse and nursery operations are the top agricultural commodity in Oregon? This industry brings in an estimated $1 BILLION in production value per year. Of course, all of these industries, along with more than 225 others, bring value to the state’s economy. Say THANK YOU to a farmer or producer today!

Oregon Department of Agriculture

It's gonna be a hot one! 🥵Stay safe in your farm and garden by following these hot weather tips:
☀️ Choose shady areas to work during the next couple days.
☀️ Do as much work as possible before 11am and after 7pm.
☀️ Take a rest in the shade for at least 5 minutes every hour.
☀️ Drink at least 8 ounces of water every 20 minutes, or 24-32 ounces per hour.
☀️ Wear a wide-brimmed hat, lightweight clothing, and plenty of sunscreen.
And remember, if you begin to feel ill, stop right away and take a break in a cool place. Don't hesitate to call 911 if you experience any symptoms of heat stroke.

📷: U.S. National Weather Service (NWS)

A day on the water + getting w**ds out of our waterways = win/win!

Join us on July 19 and August 3 for the annual Paddle and Pull events on the Willamette River. By kayak or canoe, you'll remove aquatic w**ds that degrade fish and wildlife habitat, native vegetation, water quality, and overall watershed health. You'll be traveling between Michael's Landing in Corvallis and Hyak Park in Albany. Canoes are available, or bring your own!

For more information and to register, visit: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/2jmjdu5/lp/c2a1dca8-2a78-4021-a51e-78b15e7bb8c7

A day on the water + getting w**ds out of our waterways = win/win!

Join us on July 19 and August 3 for the annual Paddle and Pull events on the Willamette River. By kayak or canoe, you'll remove aquatic w**ds that degrade fish and wildlife habitat, native vegetation, water quality, and overall watershed health. You'll be traveling between Michael's Landing in Corvallis and Hyak Park in Albany. Canoes are available, or bring your own!

More info and register at: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/2jmjdu5/lp/c2a1dca8-2a78-4021-a51e-78b15e7bb8c7

Did you know that our volunteers generously gave more than 850 hours to BSWCD projects last year? That equals over FIVE MONTHS of full-time work!

If you're one of our dedicated volunteers, join us on August 2nd for a thank-you bash! We'll have food, non-alcoholic beverages, live music, door prizes, family activities, and more.

RSVP at: https://www.bentonswcd.org/2024-08-02-2024-volunteer-celebration

We hope to see you there!

Exciting news! Luckiamute Watershed Council has put together a 10-page guide featuring native plants that are both adapted to the Willamette Valley and fire-resistant. From groundcovers and perennials to shrubs and trees, this resource will help you choose plants that increase the resilience of your yard to wildfire. Many of the featured plants are drought-tolerant as well. Download your free copy below!

Native Plants for Fire Resiliency A Willamette Valley-specific resource for creating fire resiliency in your yard or garden is now available! ​Download a copy below, and help spread the word by sharing with your family, friends and...

“We can do things we’re a little afraid to do with native plants.”

Check out this excellent article from Pacific Horticulture spotlighting the winners of their recent landscape design contest, including pictures and words of wisdom from the designers.

Pacific Horticulture | Natural Beauties: Two Seattle Award-winners Showcase the Beauty of Native Plants Summer 2024 2023 saw the debut of Pacific Horticulture’s landscape design contest, the Design Futurist Award, highlighting visionary projects with a focus on climate-resilient garden…

We're capping off this with a very special announcement. 📢

We've officially chosen the winners of our first annual Jerry Paul Native Pollinator Conservation Grant! The competition was fierce, and it was wonderful to see how much passion for pollinators there is in our community. These 4 grant recipients represent an array of projects as diverse as the pollinators they'll benefit.

Check out our 4 grant winners below, and click on the comments to learn more about their projects!👇

Pollinators are key for both ecosystem health and a sustainable food supply. Are you enjoying lunch right now? Guess what - pollinators like bees, butterflies, beetles, and bats provide 1 out of every 3 bites of food we eat! 😲

Show your thanks by planting native plants and supporting local farmers. We're working towards this, too - by providing pollinator-friendly cover crop support for farmers, and plenty of resources for choosing the best native plants. Check us out at: https://www.bentonswcd.org/native-plants

You may not like it, but this is what peak pollination looks like. 💪

Be honest – when you hear the word “pollinator”, your mind buzzes right over to bees, right? While bees are incredibly important pollinators, when it comes to the night shift, nobody pollinates better than a moth. With their fuzzy bodies and antennae, moths are much more efficient pollinators than butterflies or even bees.

Moths are in decline almost everywhere, but there are some easy ways you can help! Artificial lighting is their biggest threat, so turn off your outdoor lights at night, put them on motion detectors, or replace them with red or orange bulbs.

We all know the European honeybee, an important species raised for honey production and crop pollination. But did you know that most of our native plants and ecosystems rely upon native pollinators, and vice versa? Some of these partnerships are so strong that one cannot survive without the other.

Take the Oregon silverspot butterfly. Its sole host plant - the only plant that its caterpillars can eat - is the early blue violet (Viola adunca). When the violet began to decline due to human development, the silverspot began to disappear as well. Today, only 4 known populations of these butterflies remain, and they're federally listed as threatened.

Thankfully, places like the Oregon Zoo are working to recover this species through a captive breeding program. They're able to release about 2,000 silverspots back into the environment every year!



Photo credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (upper), Wikimedia Commons (lower)

All this week we're celebrating the power of pollinators! Did you know that more than 80% of all flowering plants need animal pollinators for reproduction? Pollinators provide pollination services to over 180,000 different plant species and more than 1200 crops.

And pollinators are as diverse as the plants they visit - from birds to flies, wasps, beetles, and even mice, they're all an equally important part of the pollination system. Celebrate them with us this !

Have you heard the buzz? 🐝It's National Pollinator Week!

This annual event is celebrated internationally to promote the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats, beetles, moths, wasps, and flies. It's a time to celebrate pollinators and spread the word about what we can do to protect them.

Every day this week, we'll be sharing a fascinating fact, true story, or useful tip about our local pollinators and how you can help them. Stay tuned!

In the meantime... share your best pollinator photo below! 🦋🐜🪰🦇🐦🐝

Last Saturday, about 50 people gathered at J2E Tree farm to hear about - and walk through - some of the remarkable restoration projects that J2E owner David Ehlers has undertaken. David has worked tirelessly to restore ecosystem function and improve connectivity within his 338 acres, which includes Vincent Creek (a tributary of the Luckiamute River), wetlands, oak prairies, and mature hardwood forests. The diversity of these habitats makes J2E both a beautiful place to visit and a critical site for threatened species including Taylor's checkerspot butterfly and Nelson's checkermallow. Participants got an insider's look at a wet prairie, an upland prairie, and a riparian area, led by David and restoration experts from various agencies who have done work on this project.

David's restoration efforts are supported by a multitude of funders and partners including Benton SWCD, Luckiamute Watershed Council, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bonneville Environmental Foundation and The Xerces Society. Conservation truly takes a village!

To learn more about the J2E River to Ridge Biodiversity Project, visit: https://www.luckiamutelwc.org/j2e-river-to-ridge-diversity-project.html

Check out our June newsletter for some special features on our recent Ag Soil Health meeting, what w**ds to be on the lookout for right now, and more! - https://mailchi.mp/bentonswcd/e-news-april24-16194427

Us when we find out that June is National Great Outdoors Month 🌿🏃👩‍🦽‍🚶‍👨‍🦯

Whether you work outside, play outside, or simply stop to smell the flowers, we encourage you to take a moment this month to enjoy all the benefits that the great outdoors provides. Being outside reduces stress, releases endorphins, and can even help improve memory and concentration. That's a pretty awesome gift that Mother Nature offers!

So get outside this month, and enjoy that fresh air and the sun on your face. 🌞

We simply could not do what we do without our team of dedicated, passionate volunteers - some of whom have been volunteering with us for DECADES! If you've volunteered with us in the last 3 years, you're invited to join us on August 2nd to celebrate YOU! Mark your calendars and stay tuned on our website and newsletter for more details coming soon. 🎉

Check out this excellent article about our work with Luckiamute Watershed Council to help with restoration and conservation at J2E Tree Farm!
P.S. There may still be a few tickets available for the tour at J2E on Saturday... try your luck at https://www.luckiamutelwc.org/river-to-ridge.html

Biodiversity tour planned at Philomath farm The Luckiamute Watershed Council and its partners are pulling back the layers on a biodiversity restoration project that has been ongoing at J2E Tree Farm in Philomath.

It's ! Today, and every day, we encourage awareness and action to protect our precious natural resources. We can all help, with actions large or small. Plant a native tree, support your local farmers, reduce your single-use plastics, share your good deeds with others. Think global and act local today!

What are you doing to help protect your environment? Let us know in the comments below!

We still have space available for this Saturday's "Pollinator Power" workshop and tour at the USDA Plant Materials Center in Corvallis! Join us to learn about native pollinators, the important roles they play in the environment, and how you can support them.

Learn more and sign up at: https://www.bentonswcd.org/2024-06-01-pollinator-power-workshop-and-habitat-tour

Thanks for joining us for Invasive Species Awareness Week! We hope you learned some new information you can use and share with others.

Are you ready to become a W**d Warrior in your own neighborhood? Here are some ways you can help to prevent the establishment and spread of invasive species:
✅Thoroughly clean your shoes before AND after entering a natural area - lots of seeds "hitchhike" to new locations this way!
✅Don't move firewood from one camping site to another. This is a known pathway for invasive pests, including the Emerald Ash Borer.
✅Clean, Drain, and Dry your boat, board, or float after enjoying a day on the river
✅Get to know your local w**ds, keep an eye out for them, and report them to us if spotted!

Together we can spread the word, not the w**ds!

We couldn't let this Invasive Species Awareness Week go by without mentioning a common sight in backyards and natural areas alike, climbing up buildings and signposts, or even creeping across your driveway. You guessed it - we're talking about English Ivy. 😒

Ivy can be overwhelming, but we'll let you in on a little secret... You don't have to get rid of ALL the ivy to keep it under control! 🎉

Ivy can only flower and produce seeds when it reaches tall heights - i.e., a tree canopy. To prevent this, and protect your trees, you can cut the ivy in a wide band all the way around the tree at your height. This is known as girdling or a "survival ring". The ivy above the cut section, no longer connected to its roots, will die and eventually fall off on its own. Then, peel the ivy off the trunk and away from the base of the tree, out to a distance of 3-4 feet. If you can keep this area clear, your trees will be in great shape!

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P.S. Check out OSU Extension's excellent step-by-step guide to ivy girdling at: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/techniques/ivy-removal-home-landscape

Photo credit: King Conservation District

Did you know that w**ds can be found in the water, too? Aquatic invasive species can be found in almost every river and wetland, including our own Willamette River. Each year, Benton SWCD, Willamette Riverkeeper, Oregon State Parks, and other members of the Willamette Mainstem Cooperative host a series of "Paddle and Pull" events. Volunteers travel by kayak or canoe along the Willamette removing aquatic invaders like Ludwigia and Parrot Feathers (pictured below).

These events really make a dent in the floating w**d mats, helping to prevent fish die-offs, boating hazards, and poor water quality. Join us for our next Paddle and Pull event in July!

LEFT PHOTO: Ludwigia (yellow flower) mixed with parrot feathers (long, feathery strands)

RIGHT PHOTO: A sea of Ludwigia clogging the Willamette River at one of our Paddle and Pull sites

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It's - Invasive Species Style!

The close-up below is from a B List noxious w**d that's all too common in our area. Here are your hints:
✅A midsummer-blooming perennial
✅Grows to about 3 feet tall
✅Has abundant seeds widely dispersed by wind, water, animals, and people

It's also known to release compounds into the soil that prevent the establishment of other plants, reducing competition. This makes it really tough to eradicate AND tough to re-establish native habitats.

Do you know this w**d? Share your guesses below to win some BSWCD swag! 🏆

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