The Environmental Learning Center presents a FREE Workshop Series for anyone interested in home gardening for wildlife and water quality. Learn how to garden with less water, manage too much stormwater, and generally provide a healthier habitat for birds, pollinating insects, and more.
Sign up for one or all of the courses below!
When: Thursdays, January 26 - March 9
Time: Noon-1:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE
Where: Zoom - [Link will be sent to you prior to the class and recordings will be available after class.]
Schedule of Programs
Each week, experts will share their experience, stories, best practices, and expertise with you. There will be plenty of time for discussion, so come prepared with your garden questions!
January 26 - How to Grow a Sustainable Lawn
Presented by: Weston Miller, OSU Extension Service
Lawns get a bad rap in terms of sustainability. By choosing the right style of lawn, care regime, and equipment, you can increase the sustainable profile of your lawn. Learn key information about how to grow grass lawns and eco-lawns (grasses with broadleaf plants) including mowing, watering, and fertilizing. Also, learn about new research on carbon sequestration by lawns.
February 2 - Encouraging Beneficial Insects, Spiders & Mini-Creatures
Presented by: Aaron Anderson, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
A diverse fauna of mini creatures plays a huge role in keeping your backyard habitat healthy and functional. Learn to be a good host to these critters and how a diverse, native plant-based garden is a bulwark to plant pest outbreaks.
February 9 - Avoiding Invasives in Your Garden
Presented by: Natalie Balkam, U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Finding the right plant for the right location is key to garden success, but some are a little too successful and threaten to disrupt the balanced outcome we desire. Learn how proper plant choices can help to prevent undesirable invasives from taking over your yard, and why this is important for the health of our watersheds.
February 16 - Drought Tolerant Native Plants for Pollinators
Presented by: Matthew Shepherd, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Despite its reputation for being wet and gray, we live and garden in a region that has naturally dry summers, conditions that are being exacerbated by global warming. Join Matthew Shepherd of the Xerces Society to discover drought-tolerant plants that can add resilience to your landscape in the face of changing weather patterns, as well as support bees and other pollinators.
February 23 - Attracting Birds While Protecting Watershed Health
Presented by: Antonya Pickard, Backyard Habitat Certification Program
Birds delight us with their presence in our backyards and provide many beneficial services, from pest-control to pollination. Creating a welcoming environment for our avian visitors need not strain our water budget - our Backyard Habitat Certification expert will show us how!
March 2 - Ways That We Impact Watersheds in our Garden Decisions
Presented by: Lora Price, Design With Nature
The choices we make in taking care of our yards not only affects the long-term health and beauty of our gardens, but also the health of our water supply. Learn why this matters, and what we can do to be good environmental stewards through soil care practices, stormwater management, water conservation, non-chemical fertilizer alternatives and best practices for pest management.
March 9 - Garden Design Considerations for Managing Stormwater & Erosion
Presented by: Amy Whitworth, Plan-It Earth Design
If sloping lawns and rivers of run-off from your yard are causing you grief, our award-winning speaker will show you the way! Noted for her earth-friendly, waterwise designs that provide wildlife habitat, Amy excels in designing solutions that can work for your backyard.
If you have questions about this series, please e-mail: michelle.scholz@clackamas.edu