Category Archives: Workshops and Events

Eat N’ Greet for Growers

April 19^th, 2023, 12:00pm – 3:00pm

COLUMBIA GRANGE #267
37493 NE Grange Hall Rd.
Corbett, OR 97019

Do you have a farm in Multnomah County, east of the Willamette River? Discover what our services can do for you.

Join us for delicious meal and get to know our staff and programs. Staff will be on hand to learn about your situation and discuss how you and your farm might benefit from what we offer.

Lunch provided
One-on-one face time with EMSWCD staff
Information about our services
Q and A
Opportunity to chat with your neighbors

EMSWCD offers support in these topic areas:

Irrigation efficiency: converting to drip irrigation, soil moisture monitoring, installing variable frequency drives, accessing weather tools.
Livestock management: heavy-use areas, manure composting, rotational grazing, exclusionary fencing along creeks, pasture management.
Weed control: identification of invasive weeds, eradication advice.
Farmland protection: purchase of working farmland easements, farmland and farm succession planning.
Farm planning: development of a custom conservation farm plan, access to planning advice and conservation resources.

Register for a free workshop

Do you feel that cool, crisp morning air? Before we know it, it will be time to “put the garden to bed.” What better time to start dreaming up new, creative ideas for next year’s garden? Thanks to helpful participant feedback, we have added these three new topics in addition to some long-time favorites to our fall schedule!

Climate Resilience: At Home, In Your Yard, and Beyond
Landscaping for Wildlife
Outdoor Water Conservation

Discover simple gardening practices that will help you create a beautiful landscape that conserves water, reduces pollution and attracts beneficial wildlife to your yard. If you are not able to attend a live webinar, we also have recorded sessions you can watch at any time.

View the workshop schedule and register here

Mt. Hood Community College Volunteer Planting Day

Thanks for joining us for a morning of fun and community building at the Mt. Hood Community College Volunteer Planting! On March 5^th we planted a variety of 350 bare-root native trees and shrubs to help beautify the campus and improve habitat for students, visitors, and wildlife.

We had so much fun at our first in-person, all-outdoors masked event since COVID began. We were joined by group of about 20 people, including MHCC students, families, and folks from all over the area who were excited to plant hundreds of native plants. Check out their growth by visiting the Visual Arts buildings on Mount Hood Community College’s campus.

Thanks so much for helping us create a more sustainable and beautiful campus, and thanks to Mt. Hood Community College for partnering with us for this event!

Yard Tour 2020 – We’re changing things up this year!

Our Yard Tour is going digital this year! Instead of our usual yard-visiting tour, we are offering you all a chance to show us what’s going on in your landscapes from the comfort of your home! Share what environmentally-friendly practices and projects you are working on. You might also see what others are doing in their space and get inspired to learn more.

Learn more here!

Join us at our Open House and Garden event on June 1^st!

Come tour our naturescaped garden and the green features we’ve added to our historical building on June 1^st! At this family-friendly event you’ll see native plants, rain gardens, eco-roofs, pervious pavement and more! You’ll walk away with new ideas for how to care for the land and water in your yard.

: Water runoff works its way down to each plant in our “Bucket Brigade” downspout planter

Visit Our Vibrant Garden
Tour Green Building Features
Learn About Our Programs
Free Kids Activities
And much more!

Learn more about
the event here!

Please note that our grounds are ADA accessible, but there are varying types of terrain. For more information or questions on accessibility, please contact Monica at (503) 222-7645 or monica@emswcd.org.

Important – Wildlife workshop rescheduled to Wednesday, April 17th!

Important notice: This workshop has been rescheduled to April 17^th due to weather concerns. If you already registered you do not need to do re-register. If you need to cancel your registration, please contact Chelsea at chelsea@emswcd.org.

Join us at the Columbia Grange on April 17^th for our first ever workshop on attracting wildlife to your property. Learn how to transform your land into a refuge for local wildlife!

: Be the hero your yard is waiting for! Find out how to landscape your yard for wildlife this April 17th

Habitat loss is the greatest threat to the survival of wildlife in the US, but you can make a difference on your own property. In this workshop you’ll:

Gain knowledge of the best plants and strategies for increasing habitat on your land.
Learn about the needs of a variety of beneficial wildlife and insects.
Learn how to develop, design and implement a plan for your property.
And much more…

Click here
to register!

Spring Workshops are here!

Get ready for spring with one of our free workshops! Learn how to conserve water, reduce pollution and attract beneficial wildlife, all while creating an attractive and low-maintenance landscape. Our workshops are held in a variety of locations in Portland, Gresham and Troutdale.

Workshops offered this spring include:

Naturescaping Basics
Rain Gardens 101
Native Plants Workshop
Attracting Pollinators
Beneficial Insects
Urban Weeds

You need to register to attend a workshop – please don’t wait! Workshops tend to fill up quickly. Register today!

Livestock Workshop

Calling all livestock owners! Join us on August 17^th at the Columbia Grange for help planning and managing your livestock operation. Presenters will highlight grazing techniques to keep grass growing vigorously, and mud and manure management to minimize runoff into waterways.