Welcome to the UCD 2024-25 Winter Workshop Series
We are pleased to bring you the 6th season of our Winter Workshop Series! Please join us each month in December, January, and February, as we connect, share, and learn about various topics related to our area’s natural resources.
Note that our December biochar workshop will be held in-person only. Our January and February workshops will be held in person as well as streamed virtually via Zoom. Please use the links below to register for either the in-person or virtual event. We encourage in-person participation for the fullest experience.
All UCD Winter Workshop events are free of charge and open to all.
Questions? Please give us a call at 509-493-1936, or email info@ucdwa.org.
DECEMBER- Back to Life Biochar Hands-On Workshop
Held in person only on December 11, 2024, 12:00-4:00pm
Location: The Atlan Property, Husum, WA (directions on the registration page below)
Speakers: Keala Young and Michael McNorvell
Underwood Conservation District is partnering with Atlan Center & Back to Life Biochar to launch this year’s winter workshop series with an outdoor event all about Biochar! Back to Life Biochar Hands-On Workshop will be outdoors, in the Husum area, observing different stages of making biochar, participating in live demonstrations of biochar creation, discussing various techniques and scales for making your own biochar, learning more about the benefits of biochar, and also learning about amending soil with biochar. Come warm up by the fire and plan on a hands-on experience. We’re also excited to grow a community of interested biochar-makers who want to share information and resources on a local level.
Register in advance, here for this in-person only event.
We recommend watching this previously recorded, UCD winter workshop webinar for foundational information about biochar.
JANUARY- More than Flowers: What Your Landscape Needs to Support Pollinators
Held in person and via Zoom on January 16, 2025 at 6pm
Location: White Salmon Valley Library, 77 NE Wauna Ave., White Salmon, WA
Speakers: Matthew Shephard, Director of Outreach & Education at Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. Learn more at xerces.org.
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.
Register in advance for this meeting:
Zoom registration (After registering through Zoom, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting virtually.)
FEBRUARY- Soil! What it is and How it Works
Held in person and via Zoom on February 19, 2025 at 6pm
Location: Mountain View Grange, 1085 N. Main Ave. White Salmon, WA
Speakers: 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.
Register in advance for this meeting:
Zoom registration (After registering through Zoom, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting virtually.)
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You can find recordings of all of our past Winter Workshop presentations, including presentation materials, on the Archived Webinars page.