Healthy soil is made up of much more than silt, sand, and clay!
Clackamas SWCD has a long history of working with our local farmers and ranchers to develop good soil health practices for their crops, fields, and pastures. Now, with the support of the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), our partners at the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Gray Family Foundation, the Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District is bringing soil health education to K-8 teachers, school garden volunteers, and community gardeners by offering a FREE Soil Health Workshop on Saturday, October 8th, from 8:30 – 2:00, at Springwater Environmental Sciences School in Oregon City.
Why Does Soil Health Matter?
Healthy soils help to protect many of our natural resources, including maintaining animal and plant biodiversity, contributing to water quality, and storing carbon, which can help slow global warming.
Poor soil health leads to compaction, runoff, erosion, and loss of organic matter in soils.
School and community gardens provide a living laboratory for investigation-based learning. Working with soils gets kids outside and engaged in learning by doing. Teaching about soil prepares our students to better understand their world and to conserve natural resources throughout their lives. And now teachers have access to a soil curriculum that meets Next Generation Science Standards that makes soil health lessons attractive and appropriate for teachers and their students!
Springwater Environmental Sciences School Garden
What are we doing about it?
This October, Clackamas SWCD is delivering the same valuable information we already provide farmers to our teachers and garden managers. Our upcoming workshop, offered in collaboration with Springwater Environmental Sciences School and Clackamas County non-profit Food Waves, covers the basics of soil health, showing how to care for the soil in the garden with an emphasis on preparing for winter. Participants will have a chance to get their hands dirty while testing student activities. The workshop will also provide some guidance on attracting and managing volunteers.
- Preparing for the Winter Garden: A FREE Soil Health Workshop for School & Community Gardens
- Saturday, October 8, 2016
- 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Springwater Environmental Sciences School, Oregon City
For more information or to register for this workshop, please contact Cathy McQueeney at cmcqueeney@conservationdistrict.org or at 503-210-6012.