Volunteers Levi Puksta and Dakota Truitt load herb Robert into a trash bag.
Photo credit: Tiffany Royal, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission.
Herb Robert IS usually less than 10” in height. It typically has pink, five-petaled flowers and finely divided leaves, giving the plant a fern-like appearance.
With the help of some amazing volunteers, and a partnership with the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and Olympic National Park, we held a great weed pull event to celebrate Earth Day on April 22. Over 84 gallons of invasive herb Robert were removed along the Elwha River on Olympic National Park land!
Herb Robert, also known as “stinky Bob” due to its pungent odor, poses a huge threat to the forest understory and plant diversity. It often prevents other herbaceous native species from growing, which can be devastating for a forest ecosystem. Removal of the herb Robert will allow native vegetation to reestablish, which will provide food and habitat for a variety of mammals, reptiles and insects, and keep herb Robert from spreading throughout the Elwha watershed.
For more information on identification and control of invasive herb Robert, please refer to Clallam County Noxious Weed Control Board’s Herb Robert fact sheet.
Tips to Protect Your Home
from Wildfire
Have you taken a close look at how you could minimize damage to your property in a wildfire? If not, then now is your chance to learn some simple, yet effective, steps to reduce your risk.
We were joined by Ashley Blazina, Community Wildfire Preparedness Coordinator for the Washington Department of Natural Resources, last month for a webinar on wildfire in Washington. Ashley covered ways to make homes and landscaping more fire-resilient, on any budget. Watch the recorded webinar for quick tips that could help save your home.
“Riparian forest buffer” is a term we find ourselves using in our newsletter and other publications frequently as we work with landowners to help establish these areas, so we thought we’d talk a little about why they are so important.
Native plants installed along the Elwha River through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). THESE Trees and shrubs help develop a healthy riparian forest buffer. The blue tubes are plant protectors which minimize damage by small rodents such as voles, but as can be seen by the chewed off Douglas fir tree, don’t prevent damage by beavers.
Riparian forest buffers, also referred to as riparian areas, are located adjacent to rivers and streams and consist predominantly of trees with a healthy understory of native shrubs. In our county most riparian areas were historically dominated by conifer and deciduous trees, many of which were removed as land was cleared for farmland and homes.
Healthy riparian forest buffers are crucial to fish and other aquatic organisms for several reasons. Riparian forest buffers provide shade, which helps improve habitat for aquatic creatures that require cool water temperatures. They also create a source of large woody debris. Downed trees in streams and rivers help form pools that serve as habitat for salmon. The small debris, like leaves and sticks, help provide nutrients for insects and other invertebrates, which in turn provide food for fish. The vegetation in healthy riparian forest buffers also helps to stabilize streambanks and reduce the amount of harmful sediment that enters a waterway.
If you have a stream or river on your property, and would like help creating a riparian forest buffer, Conservation District planners are available to provide free, on-site technical assistance. Assistance may include providing information about fish and wildlife habitat and how to enhance it, identifying native plants, and helping you address problems such as noxious weed infestations. And depending on your particular situation, you may be eligible for financial assistance to restore or enhance your riparian buffers. Contact us at 360-775-3747 ext. 5 or by email at info@clallamcd.org.
Scotch broom creates monocultures that displace native and beneficial plants such as forage grasses and young trees.
Weed Wrenches Available for
Scotch Broom Control
Now is the time to control Scotch broom before it sets seed for the year!!! Scotch broom aggressively spreads by producing hundreds, sometimes thousands, of seeds per plant which remain viable for over 30 years.
Hand pulling with a weed wrench is a very effective means of controlling Scotch broom. The Clallam County Noxious Weed Control Board has weed wrenches available for loan through WSU Clallam County Extension. The Weed Control Board also has an excellent Scotch broom factsheet with more information on identification and control.
Carolyn Wilcox, Conservation District board member and owner of Experience Olympic, a local eco-tourism company, volunteered her time to present a two-part Birdscaping webinar series in April. Recordings of both webinars are available on Clallam Conservation District’s website.
Enhancing your yard for birds provides endless entertainment while also creating your own, personal wildlife refuge for the varied and beautiful, native bird population. Simple activities such as installing a bird feeder, reducing your use of insecticides, and planting native trees and shrubs can all make a difference. Check out our sustainable landscaping resources on our Conservation Around the House webpage, including our Wildlife Use of Trees & Shrubs Native to the North Olympic Peninsula fact sheet. Audubon Washington and the Dungeness River Audubon Center have additional information on backyard birding including local resources and events.
Did you know that 70% of breeding birds in our area feed mostly on insects, which prefer to feed on native plants? Incorporating native plants into your landscape and decreasing insecticide use can enhance native insect populations that breeding birds rely upon.
Providing water in shallow pans or birdbaths is helpful for both birds and insects. Birdbaths should be at least 1 inch deep but no more than 3 inches deep and have gently sloping sides and a rough surface. Be sure to periodically clean birdbaths to minimize the spread of bacteria and diseases.
Well-placed and well-designed bird feeders are also a great way to attract birds to your property. Ensure that your feeder is covered to keep bird food from getting wet, which can lead to toxic mold and clean the feeder each time you refill it. Consider installing baffles below feeders to dissuade critters like raccoons and squirrels.
FREE ASSISTANCE HORSE & LIVESTOCK OWNERS!
District planners are ready to meet with you on your property to provide advice and guidance on improving your land for horses and/or livestock. Assistance can range from a one-time visit to answer specific questions or lead to development of a comprehensive farm plan to help achieve your land and livestock management goals. Farm plans typically address items like pasture, manure, and mud management and provide guidance to help you manage special features on your properties like streams, ponds, and wetlands. Visit our Conservation on the Farm page and click “Request Farm Assistance”, all our services are provided free of charge! If you haven’t been vaccinated, social distancing and masking guidance will be followed.
Keeping your pastures in tip top shape during the growing season means you’ll have more nutritious forage for your horses and livestock. Check out our Pasture Management Guide for details on how you can achieve healthy pastures, view our recordings of recent pasture management workshops, or contact a District planner to help you with your pasture management questions. Remember, fence horses and livestock away from waterways like streams, ditches, and ponds and ensure a healthy, grass filter strip of at least 35 feet to help filter runoff.
Use the “take half, leave half” rule of thumb when rotating livestock. Pastures are ready for grazing when grass is 6-8 inches tall and should be removed when grass has been grazed to a height of 3-4 inches. Maintaining proper stubble height keeps grass roots healthy and able to uptake nutrients in manure and fertilizer.
Use a harrow, or even a weighted piece of chain link fence, to drag around pastures to spread manure piles after rotating livestock out of a pasture.
Clipping or mowing pastures after livestock have grazed it will help even regrowth of new forage and discourage weed infestations.
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CONSERVATION SPONSORS
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