33 farms assisted
Our goal: to make the lives of farmers and livestock owners easier by assisting with natural resources. Above the field and below, we’ve got it covered.
YEAR IN NUMBERS
32,049 trees, plants and shrubs planted
Trees and shrubs are the building blocks of crucial habitat, and we’re proud to be part of the effort that’s putting them in the ground. We maintained 55 acres and planted 32 acres.
39 events and webinars
Our teams used digital workshops to reach over one thousand people. Even at home, we continue to provide education about urban stormwater, sustainable agriculture, Living with Beavers, and other natural resource management practices.
8,360 gallons of rainwater storage installed
That’s almost 200 bathtubs' worth. Those gallons didn't just feed thirsty gardens and yards - they were prevented from becoming stormwater runoff.
21,435 lbs of food donated
No one should go without fresh, healthy produce. We love to partner with people who are passionate about community and personal gardening.
65 raised beds feeding our community
We continue to install, donate and help build raised garden beds to support environmental stewardship and food security in our community.
19,480 people engaged
Social media is a powerful tool that helped us continue to engage with the community while practicing social distancing. We’re constantly working to incorporate new methods and messaging to reach our district's and region's residents.
112 youth education lessons
While school looked a lot different this year, our youth educators aren't the type to back down from a challenge. We found new ways to reach youth because tomorrow's ideas start with today's students.
2020 HIGHLIGHTS
We Are stronger together .
ORCA RECOVERY DAY DURING COVID-19
What do you do when the world shuts down? You hold a scavenger hunt, of course. Our local orca population, the Southern Resident Killer Whales, has been on a downward trend for the past 30 years. In 2018, the world watched as Tahlequah carried her dead calf for 17 days, travelling almost 1,000 miles off the Pacific Northwest coast before…
STRIVING FOR FOOD SECURITY IN OUR COUNTY
When we entered the new year in 2020, none of us could have predicted the global pandemic that would create a national food security crisis. With millions more children experiencing hunger than in recent years and nearly 1 in 4 households reporting food insecurity in 2020, our work in urban agriculture is more crucial than ever before.
STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS, BETTER STORMWATER
Our shared goal, as one of the 12 conservation districts of the Puget Sound Conservation District Caucus, is to protect our waterways. With the Regional Stormwater Action Team (RSAT) project, we were able to continue this tradition of cooperation with an ongoing network of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) resources among Puget Sound…
We work hard.
SUPPORTING DAIRIES IN THE TIME OF COVID
Farmers don’t stop working, and neither do we. Our partnership with local dairies spans almost 80 years, and our farm planners continue to carry this work forward. With the combined expertise of our farm planners, engineers, dairy operators, and other partners*, we’re able to support our dairies by equipping them with resources to manage, improve, and protect their soil, crops, and water.
RAIN OR SHINE, THERE’S STILL WORK TO BE DONE
Our crews are familiar with turning thorns and brambles into diverse and thriving habitats. What they weren’t used to, along with the rest of the world, was a pandemic. While our crews were put on hold as organizations scrambled to develop protocols for safe working conditions, the earth transitioned from late winter to the late spring blossom. In our line of work, missing several weeks of a season…
FROM DREAM TO PLAN TO REALITY
Patricia Rhinevault knew she wanted horses. Growing up on a farm, she always had a passion for them. But the 5-acre Camano Island property she and her husband purchased left much to be desired. With plenty of work left to do till they had the new barn, paddocks and pasture they envisioned, the work was cut out for them. Instead of starting it on their own, they reached out to us first.
WE ADAPT .
SCD'S FIRST EVER DRIVE-THRU PLANT SALE
Would you like some fries with that?
Just a handful of work days left before our 35th Annual Plant Sale, we arrived at a crossroads. Cancel the sale, or adapt? It was early March. With over 44,300 plants ordered and the world trying to understand the scope of the COVID-19 pandemic, our staff and volunteers hastened to transform 34 years of tradition into something the district has never tried before: a drive-through plant sale.
CONSERVATION IN A DIGITAL SPACE
In many ways, we’ve never been more connected.
Our legacy is intertwined with the connections we’ve made along the way. Truly, the work of conservation districts is dependent upon the mutual partnerships with everyday people and like- minded organizations. In a year where ordinary interactions were constrained by social distancing and teleworking, we quickly realized that our in-person workshops, a staple of our services, would have to change.
WE BUILD UP OUR YOUTH .
PLANTING SEEDS FOR THE FUTURE
Tucked down the hill and away from the campus, cloaked in rolling waves of blackberry bushes and reed canary grass, Portage Creek was barely visible. The land that used to be covered by native shrubs and trees had been cleared long ago for farming. Once agricultural practices had ended, invasive plants spread like wildfire.
YOUTH EDUCATION PIVOTS TO ONLINE EARTH DAY
Of all who have been impacted by quarantine, children have had to make one of the largest shifts in their lives. When school buildings closed, students had to tackle online learning and social distancing, all while dealing with the stress that comes with a global crisis. On the other side, our Youth Education team faced the challenge that many…
“Lily did a great job! The transition of this lesson to virtual learning was great! We are so grateful that we were still able to bring this amazing lesson to our students virtually! Thank you SO MUCH!”
WE ARE FUTURE-FOCUSED .
ENGINEERING OUR FUTURE
Through the expertise and passion of our engineers, we are enthusiastically investing in the future of the Puget Sound. Whether it’s improving salmon habitat, promoting agricultural resilience, restoring health to waterways or transforming urban spaces into natural filters for stormwater pollution, each project is another step toward a healthier space for us all.
CONTINUING TO RALLY FOR AGRICULTURE RESILIENCE
The effects of climate change are already here, and our farmers are experiencing them first-hand. To help prepare our agriculture community for the future impact, we partnered with local farmers to craft the Agriculture Resilience Plan. We celebrated the completion of the plan in 2019, and this year, we moved on to the groundwork.
2020 FINANCIALS
Total Revenue = $ 4,607,737
Camano Island Assessment: $59,626
Snohomish County Assessment: $1,941,059
City Partnerships: $46,416
Grants: $2,560,634
partnerships
Our services
+ Farm Planning
Farming is in our heritage. We have certified farm planners who will visit your farm for free and offer suggestions based on the goals you have for your property. In some cases, we may even be able to help cover the cost of improvements. As a conservation district, we work in confidence with local producers every day to ensure the viability of local agriculture, for years to come.
+ Urban Living
Situated in one of the fastest growing counties in the nation, we are helping to address the challenges of rapid development, and create the place we all want to call home. Whether you live in an apartment, condo or house - your actions at home make a difference. Our urban program offers creative ideas and incentives to help residents, businesses, schools, cities, and tribes take action as individuals or in community. Projects include rain gardens, rain catchment, sustainable landscaping, and urban agriculture.
+ Habitat Restoration
As Puget Sound witnesses its iconic species like salmon and orca decline, our strategy is simple: restore the habitat they need to thrive. SCD’s team of engineers and specialists work from small to large-scale projects - offering services like landowner streamside assistance, weed abatement, and native plants - to fish barrier removal, culvert design and floodplain management.
+ Youth Education
We are investing in our future leaders. Our Youth Education program provides hands-on, real-world learning to address the conservation issues we see everyday. We offer in-classroom curriculum, teacher training, and service learning opportunities.
