Author Archives: Alex

Jay Udelhoven and all three Watershed Council Executive Directors sign the SPA agreement.

Entering a new strategic partnership with the Columbia Slough, Johnson Creek and Sandy River Basin Watershed Councils

We are proud to announce the launch of a new long-term partnership with the Columbia Slough Watershed Council, the Johnson Creek Watershed Council, and the Sandy River Basin Watershed Council! Under this five-year Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA), we will work together with the watershed councils to plan for and implement joint conservation projects within our service area (all of Multnomah County east of the Willamette River). The partnership will include grant funding up to $1.5 million from EMSWCD to the watershed councils as well as joint fund-raising from other sources.

Find out more about the partnership and initial project funding here.

EMSWCD is hiring! Headwaters Farm Operations Assistant

We are seeking a part-time, seasonal Farm Operations Assistant to engage in a wide range of activities related to running and maintaining Headwaters Farm. The Headwaters Farm Operations Assistant will help support Headwaters Farm staff during the growing season while practicing sound stewardship, maintaining equipment, and operating tractors and other machinery, among other general farm tasks.

The application period for this position has closed. Thank you for your interest! Application materials should have been sent by no later than Friday, June 10th, 2016.

The 2016 Naturescaped Yard Tour was a success!

Thanks to everybody who attended our Naturescaped Yard Tour! The event took place on Saturday, May 14th. Six residential yards and two school yards were featured in the tour, each showcasing unique and creative ways of integrating naturescaping and stormwater management. In spite of a little rainy weather, over 400 people attended the tour! Stay tuned; we will post more information and photos from the event soon.

EMSWCD office

We are hiring for a temporary Invasive Weed Technician!

Update, 5/2/2016: The application period for this position has now closed. Thank you for your interest!

We are hiring for an Invasive Weed Technician! This position works with our Rural Lands team to map and control high-priority invasive weeds, with the long-term goals of restoration of native plant communities, protecting ecosystem processes and water quality, and preventing erosion.

The ideal candidate has excellent communication skills, a helpful personality, and experience in restoration, vegetation management and utilizing mapping technology and software. This position is part time (20 hours per week) and temporary; the job will begin in May and end on September 30th, 2016.

Learn more about the position here.

reusing burlap coffee bags as mulch

From our farmers: Thrifty farmer ideas for the season to come

This is the sixth in our “From our farmers” series, which was contributed by Sue Nackoney of Gentle Rain Farm, one of the farmers enrolled in our Farm Incubator Program. Originally written in February, this piece features several clever ways Sue and other farmers at Headwaters are conserving resources and reusing materials!

As the days lengthen and we come out of our own hibernation, the urge to get into the soil starts, but usually it is still too wet and cold to do much this time of year here in the northern climes. Here are a handful of ideas to conserve, reuse and re-purpose for the farm or garden that you can do indoors before the busy garden time begins. Continue reading →