Saturday, August 25, 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.,Thornbush Farm on San Juan
— from Brendan Whyte, WSU Extension —
With an alarming increase in the number of dead trees throughout the islands, taking better care of forested areas is critical. Owners of wooded property in the San Juan Islands will build skills for caring for their land and trees at the San Juan Islands Forest Owners Field Day on Saturday, August 25 from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Thornbush Farm on San Juan Island.
Washington State University Extension, San Juan County, the San Juan Islands Conservation District, and the Washington Department of Natural Resources will host the all-day outdoor event, which will feature workshops, demonstrations, tours, and resources on a variety of topics for forest property owners of all skill levels (from “newbie” to seasoned veteran). Participants will can choose up to five workshops to attend. Topics include forest health issues in the San Juan Islands, wildlife, fire prevention, mushroom cultivation, Garry oak restoration, and more. There will also be vendor exhibits and time for participants to network with professionals and fellow forest stewards.
Pre-registration is not required, but those who pre-register will get discounted registration fees. Pre-register before August 16th to get the early-bird rate. Save even more by registering together with a neighbor. Youth under 18 may attend for free. There is a special student and Master Gardener rate (call for details).
To learn more, register, and get a complete list of workshop topics, visit https://forestry.wsu.edu/nps/events/sanjuan/or contact WSU Extension Forestry at 425-357-6023.
Extension programs are available to all without discrimination. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication or program information or reasonable accommodation should contact WSU Extension Forestry at least two weeks before the event.
I do not see people caring for their forests, they simply cut them and room is made for invasive species. My neighbor almosi entirely cut his little forest, took out 100 year old salal so now we have tandy and thistles growing nstead. Shameful.
Do you have to “own property” to care for the woods? Is this open to anyone who is noticing our native trees dying? (madronas, cedars). Can anyone attend? Cost? Sliding scale? Will there be shuttles to take people to and from the ferry? What about County officials – will it be a requirement that they go and learn to care for the wooded and wetland lots they own?
Commonsense and observation is all one needs to realize what’s killing our trees – deforestation. Science tells us that deforestation creates desertification; we are on our way to that here if we don’t stop clearcutting whole swaths of forest everywhere.
These islands were once forested. With the County making every single parcel developable, we’re well on our way to making this place into another Palm Desert; and worse, ruining our life-support and pollutant-filtering system – which is forests and forested wetlands.