What Do Conservation Districts Do?
Our video series, available here and on Youtube, explains some of the ways that WICD promotes and inspires conservation on Whidbey Island.
New videos will be posted weekly, so be sure to subscribe to Youtube, Facebook, or Instagram to see them as they are released.
New videos will be posted weekly, so be sure to subscribe to Youtube, Facebook, or Instagram to see them as they are released.
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What Do Conservation Districts Do? Introduction
Welcome to our What Do Conservation Districts Do? video series! In this introductory video, our outreach coordinator Shannon Bly explains what conservation districts are and how we help. Stay tuned for more videos that share the types of resources and help we provide to our community. Resources From this Video: Find Conservation Districts throughout our region, state, and country. Betterground (regional) Washington State Conservation Commission (state) National Association of Conservation Districts (national) Details about Our Services: Farm Forest Water Wildfire Prep Backyards & Habitats |
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What Do Conservation Districts Do? Blooper Reel
We had so much fun making this video series for you all, and we hope you learned a lot about who we are, the work that we do, and the conservation practices that we promote. We don't have any talented film directors on staff, so we did our best to shoot and edit our videos in house, and along the way, we had some mishaps. We hope you enjoy our blooper reel! As always, find resources and information about our services on Our Services page, and contact us with your questions or assistance requests regarding your conservation projects. Be sure to check out our Bare Root Native Plant Sale to begin adding native plants to your landscape, and sign our Pollinator Pal Pledge if you're already taking steps to provide habitat through native plants. Participate in conservation efforts and activities in the community by checking out our Community Involvement page, or signing up on our Volunteer list. Join our board of supervisors and vote in our supervisor election coming up this February. Information on applying to be a supervisor and on requesting mail-in ballots to vote are available here. |
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What Do Conservation Districts Do? Annual Work Plan
Our work at the conservation district isn't all site visits and plant sales. We do a lot of intentional behind the scenes work to determine where our goals and mission intersect with the needs of the community, and how we can best make a difference. In this video, WICD District Manager Matt Zupich describes our work creating an Annual Work Plan, which we do each spring. Resources From this Video: WICD Annual Work Plan All District Documents District Elections |
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What Do Conservation Districts Do? Equipment Inventory
WICD Natural Resource Planners are frequently out in the field on (free!) site visits to farms, forests, small acreage properties, and residential properties around Whidbey Island. Depending on the project, we can use a variety of tools and equipment to gather data to help our cooperators plan and achieve their conservation project goals. In this video, we show you a few of the tools we use in data collection as we do our annual equipment inventory at the WICD office. Resources From this Video: Raingarden Overview Soil Health Basics Natural Yard Care Pasture Management |
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What Do Conservation Districts Do? Forest Stewardship
One of the defining features of Whidbey Island is our forest land. Here at the district, we assist the many forest landowners on the island with forest stewardship, forest management, and forest plans. Natural Resource Planner Kelsi Mottet gives an overview of forest stewardship considerations from her own forest property in Central Whidbey. Resources From this Video: Historical Maps Forest Stewardship webpage for more resources WSU Extension Forestry Getting started with Forest Stewardship Designated Forestland |
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What Do Conservation Districts Do? Native Plant Sale
It's almost time to open up our online storefront for the Annual Bare-Root Native Plant Sale! The sale is a way for WICD to encourage gardeners to include native plants in their yards, to assist landowners in forest, shoreline and wetland restoration projects, and to connect with the community about the range of benefits that native plants and greenspaces provide. We'll show you some examples of native plant projects and give you the details on the plant sale process. Pre-ordering runs from Nov. 1 - Dec. 30. Resources From this Video: Native Plants resource page Plant Sale Storefront (opens Nov.1) Native Plant package ideas curated by WICD natural resource planners Self-guided Garry Oak Tour in Oak Harbor (includes OH Post Office garden and other native plant gardens around town) Native Plants Recommended Reading & Online Resource List Pollinator Pal Pledge - enter to win a Pollinator Habitat Sign from Xerces Society |
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What Do Conservation Districts Do? Greenspaces
Incorporating native plants and greenspaces into the landscapes of Whidbey Island is an important conservation practice that WICD promotes and encourages. Greenspaces improve stormwater run-off by capturing and filtering water. They, provide habitat for pollinators and wildlife. They are low maintenance, which reduces excess nutrients and chemicals from running off gardens and lawns and collecting in waterways. Is there opportunity to add greenspace to your property? Fall is a great time to plan and plant! Resources From this Video: Backyards & Habitat webpage for more resources WICD Native Plant Sale Stormwater Improvement resources Native Plants of Western WA Planting for Pollinators |
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What Do Conservation Districts Do? Farm Plans
One of the services that conservation districts provide is farm planning. Our natural resource planners work with landowners to assess their natural resources, identify areas of concern, and recommend actions that can improve their impact on the land while also reducing chore time and achieving other goals. Farm plans are voluntary commitments that landowners can take. Natural Resource Planner Kelsi Mottet and landowner Jessica Aws describe their process of creating Jessica's farm plan, with some help from horses Legacy and Adonis. Resources From this Video: How to Be a Conservation District Partner The Benefits of a Farm Plan Farm & Ag webpage for more resources |
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What Do Conservation Districts Do? Soil & Water Connections
Healthy soil and water quality are intricately connected. At the district, we help landowners understand the ways that their soil biology, health, and practices affect the water that runs through all properties to the ocean. WICD Natural Resource Planner Gwendolyn Hannam explains the soil and water connections and her tips for keeping soil healthy for water quality. Resources From this Video: Near Shore Living Natural Yard Care Stormwater Management webpage for more resources Soil Test Basics Soil Health Nuggets |
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What Do Conservation Districts Do? Smart Watering
Conservation Districts promote conservation practices that you can take on your property to conserve, protect, and improve your natural resources like soil and water. In this video we'll tell you about Natural Yard Care practices and show you a handy test to make sure you're using the correct amount of water on your garden and lawn. Resources From this Video: Natural Yard Care Near Shore Living Drip Irrigation Right Plant, Right Place Backyards and Habitat webpage for more resources |
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What Do Conservation Districts Do? Orca Recovery Day
The Puget Sound conservation districts work together each year to put on Orca Recovery Day, a region-wide day of action to help our endangered Southern Resident Orcas. Learn how to participate in this year's virtual events, including the Ecochallenge! Resources From this Video: Orca Recovery Day webpage Join the Ecochallenge Regional Orca Recovery Day events here |
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What Do Conservation Districts Do? Resource Hub
The conservation district is here to provide you with education, inspiration, and technical assistance to complete your conservation goals. We don't regulate or report! Also check out our newest publication, Near Shore Living, and download your copy below. Resources From this Video: Near Shore Living download here. View our Better Ground grant project that funded this publication here. Visit Better Ground's website to learn more here. Request resources on a conservation topic here. |
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What Do Conservation Districts Do? Storm Water
Learn how our conservation district is funded and about one of our current grant projects, the Penn Cove Near Term Action, which focuses on preserving the water quality of the Penn Cove watershed by improving storm water quality. Resources From this Video: More storm water tips, resources, and actions are available on our webpage here. Find our past and present grant projects here. Learn more about the Penn Cove NTA here. All our water resource management resources can be found here. Our new publication, Near Shore Living, describes the actions we can all take to improve our water resource. View it online here or request a paper copy here. Storm water actions help Orcas! Join us in October to take collective, regional action to help our endangered Southern Resident Orcas. Info here. |
