This year’s Finance and Admin Track is all about engagement and meaningful connections. We’re kicking things off with an engaging icebreaker designed to create a welcoming atmosphere and foster a sense of community from the very start.
Elevate your visuals and tell powerful conservation stories with practical techniques for capturing compelling field photography that showcases projects, landscapes, people, and wildlife, all while maintaining professionalism, cultural awareness, and ecological sensitivity. Technical and communications staff are encouraged to attend.
Elevate your visuals and tell powerful conservation stories with practical techniques for capturing compelling field photography that showcases projects, landscapes, people, and wildlife, all while maintaining professionalism, cultural awareness, and ecological sensitivity. Technical and communications staff are encouraged to attend.
Get to know your fellow CD riparian planners. Session will include brief introductions and will evolve into a general discussion of riparian projects, lessons learned, and future goals. Please be prepared to give a brief overview of the work you do and come with any questions that fellow riparian folks can provide advice on
Join the Office of the Washington State Auditor for past, current, and future accounting and reporting updates that affect you, your annual report filing, and more! (Joining Virtually)
Explore how conservation districts can leverage AI tools to enhance education and outreach efforts, from creating engaging content to streamlining communication and analyzing community feedback, including ethical considerations.
Dive into Spotted Lantern Fly & Stone Fruit Pests surveys, control, and education with Joshua. In continuation to Sue Bird's talk on Tree-of-Heaven, a host from Spotted Lantern Fly
Learn how Whatcom CD is using Tableau to create visual representation of water quality results over time, through the use of maps, graphs, and filters. We will also talk about how they automated the process. https://bit.ly/WQ-Tableau
Assistant Nursery Manager John Knox has spent the past seven years learning the 'dos and don'ts' of native plant nursery management while operating one of the largest native plant nurseries in the state. Learn more about how your CD can get started implementing a small scale bareroot nursery and additional nursery practices suitable for CD planners who hope to expand their existing nursery infrastructure
Learn how to leverage website and Google Analytics tools to track user behavior, measure engagement, and optimize content for improved outreach and communication efforts.
How to guide K-12 educators into modifying (or extending) their partnered programs with conservation districts from a "field trip" into a Field Experience
In this workshop we’ll explore the fundamental principles of establishing and maintaining a strong internal control environment. Whether you're working with limited resources or managing complex operations, this session will provide practical strategies for designing effective controls that safeguard assets, ensure compliance, and promote operational efficiency. You’ll also learn about compensating controls and how to implement them when staffing or resources are constrained. Join us for this hands-on discussion and gain valuable insights on building resilience and accountability within your organization, no matter the size or structure.
Thurston, Snohomish, Mason, and Pacific CDs share tidal shoreline projects, methods, and lessons learned for supporting habitats and/or hazards resilience through the Shore Friendly program and beyond
Soil science basics to set the stage for Rachel Wieme’s following talk. Soil testing and summary of grower round table held in Walla Walla at WWCCD annual meeting.
Brian Muegge from Salmon Safe will be discussing his experience in engaging agricultural producers on implementation of riparian buffers, the barriers they face in implementation, and how the Salmon-Safe label can help the marketability of their products. Brian has a background in habitat biology and is now currently the Farm Program Manager for Salmon-Safe
Join the Office of the Washington State Auditor to hear the latest from the fraud-fighting front, including: Lessons learned from recent government fraud case studies at small cities/towns, why governments are trusting without verifying, and why some employees are exploiting that trust, and SAO’s top fraud-fighting tips. (Joining Virtually)
Learn how to align your conservation district's website with upcoming accessibility requirements, including practical tips, tools, and resources to ensure compliance and enhance inclusivity.
Soil acidification has become a growing concern for dryland crop production in eastern Washington. This presentation will discuss the causes of soil acidification and the effects on soil health and crop yield and quality, and best management practices for preventing or ameliorating low soil pH. We will also cover tools and resources that are available for growers (and conservation districuts working with growers) on how to identify if an acidity issue exists and create a management plan to addresss it.
The State Conservation Commission's new Riparian Grant Program (RGP) provides funding for projects to restore and protect riparian habitat on private lands. Join RGP Program Manager Amy Martin to learn more about how CD staff are leveraging the program to enhance riparian habitat throughout Washington State
Join us for an interactive roundtable on the ins and outs of managing grant funding. Let’s collaborate, share experiences, and gain practical tips to streamline and enhance your grant management processes
Learn how conservation districts are maximizing efficiency in their outreach efforts. This session will explore practical time management tools and programs for scheduling social media posts, delivering newsletters, and simplifying communication workflows. Enhance your ability to save time and focus on impactful conservation work.
This session encourages participants to share insights, ask questions, and engage in thoughtful conversations, ensuring a deeper understanding and connection with the topics covered. It's the perfect opportunity to digest the day's content and leave with renewed perspective
Why and when might it make sense to use a drone to collect LiDAR data when there is so much good data available publicly? That will be answered in this session, along with Snohomish CD staff talking about their experience collecting and processing LiDAR data to aid in the modeling and design of riparian restoration and floodplain projects.
Learn how to efficiently coordinate your plant sale with e-stores, streamlined transactions, mass email marketing, accounting, and website development—tailored for education and outreach staff looking to enhance engagement and sales.
Why and when might it make sense to use a drone to collect LiDAR data when there is so much good data available publicly? That will be answered in this session, along with Snohomish CD staff talking about their experience collecting and processing LiDAR data to aid in the modeling and design of riparian restoration and floodplain projects.
A more informal discussion group that will allow breakout into smaller groups and one on one conversation. The goal of this session is to make connections with other planners and bolster the support network for all riparian folks across the state.
Bring your team for a fun night of Envirothon Trivia at the Grotto! Win prizes and bragging rights by competing against other District staff. Bring a $20 donation (cash or credit cards accepted) to benefit the Washington State Envirothon 501(c)(3).
