Hiring an Administrative Assistant!
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Thurston Conservation District is looking for a reliable, organized, and friendly team player who will support the work of TCD’s staff and board and provide general assistance to the public.
The Administrative Assistant will join our Finance and Administration team and will assist TCD’s board and staff with administrative functions, provide general information and assistance to the public, assist the Soil Health and Food Processing equipment rental programs, and ensure that District facilities and vehicles are maintained.
Click here for a full position description and application instructions.
Applications are due by the end of the day on January 6th, 2022.
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2023 Board of Supervisors Election Information
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Voter Information
A mail-in election will be held March 14, 2023. Registered voters who live within the Conservation District boundaries are encouraged to request a ballot to cast their vote in the 2023 election.
Ballot requests begin February 6, 2023. More information about how to request a ballot will be posted on our website and featured in upcoming newsletter.
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Board of Supervisors Elected Seat Opening!
How to Become a Candidate
| A mail-in election for Position 3 on the Thurston Conservation District Board of Supervisors will be held on March 14, 2023. As a candidate, you can share your personal and professional experience for the betterment of our community! Qualified candidates are registered voters residing in the Conservation District, which covers most of Thurston County.
Supervisors are public officials and are responsible for setting and maintaining overall District policies regarding the management and conservation of natural resources within the District. The successful candidate will become part of a volunteer five-person Board of Supervisors who serve without compensation for three-year terms.
Candidates must complete and return paperwork by January 23, 2023 at 4:30pm.
Mandatory paperwork and candidate statement/photo materials may be returned to the Election Supervisor via mail or dropped off to ‘Thurston Conservation District, C/O Susan Shelton 2918 Ferguson St SW, Suite A, Tumwater WA 98512’ or by emailing a scanned copy to accounting@thurstoncd.com
Candidate Paperwork and Resources:
Additional information about Conservation District elections may be found on the WA State Conservation Commission’s website.
If you are unable to print or access the required paperwork, please contact the Election Supervisor, Susan Shelton, at accounting@thurstoncd.com or 360-742-2313 to arrange alternative accommodations. |
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Find the full job description here.
Thurston Conservation District (TCD) is searching for a temporary part-time election employee who will serve as a polling officer and will help the District hold a transparent and accountable election for its Board of Supervisors Position 3. The selected candidate will report directly to the District’s Election Supervisor, Susan Shelton, and will work in collaboration with the Thurston County Auditor’s Office Elections staff and Polling Officer volunteers. This temporary position will support the District’s March 14, 20232 mail-in election season.
It is a priority of Thurston CD to ensure that our permanent conservation staff are not responsible for handling or processing ballots in order to reduce any potential for the appearance of election tampering and to ensure sufficient capacity to provide voters with well-trained, highly responsive support throughout our 2023 election season. Our election processes are dictated by our governing law (RCW Chapter 89.08), WAC Section 135-110, and the procedures established by the Washington State Conservation Commission.
Find a full list of duties and responsibilities in the job description here.
To Apply: Submit a resume with two references and the supplemental questionnaire to job-applications@thurstoncd.com by January 20, 2023 at 4:30pm.
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Conservation Starters:
The Emerald Ash Borer
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On this episode of Conservation Starters, we're joined by WSU Extension Forester, Patrick Shultz. Together, we discuss the new threat the emerald ash borer, an invasive wood boring beetle brings to Western Washington. We talk about the importance of our native and ornamental ash trees. Patrick also breaks down practical ways Thurston County residents can help slow the spread of this invasive beetle. Listen in to learn more about the emerald ash borer, why there's a growing concern, and how you can help be a part of the solution!
You can find this episode and others on all major streaming platforms.
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Pre-orders for our 2023 Native Plant Festival & Sale are open now through January 2023! This is a great opportunity for you to begin planning your spring planting projects. Order now to ensure you get the number and variety of plants you desire.
Here's how to order:
- Visit our online store at store.thurstoncd.com
- Look through available plants on the 'Products' page - plants can be sorted into multiple categories or viewed alphabetically by common name.
- Use the online planting guidelines and resources if you're not sure what would thrive in your yard or planting area.
- Make an online payment via our PayPal portal- please note you do not need to have a PayPal account to do this and you can check out as a 'guest'.
- Pick up your plants March 1st - 4th! You will receive detailed information about pick-up and care prior to March 4th. We do not ship plants.
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News from South Sound GREEN
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Students from Komachin Middle School test the pH of water from the Deschutes River at their Water Quality “Staycation” Field Day on campus.
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December might not seem like field trip season, but at SSG we’re excited to teach students at any time of year! With only a few weeks available in December before winter break, we managed to squeeze in a number of exciting programs, working with Horizons Elementary and Komachin Middle schools for water quality testing and joining Tumwater High and Nisqually Middle schools out at McLane Creek for some chum salmon spawning trips! Overall, it was a great end to a fantastic year for us, and one that saw students returning to in-person field experiences for the first time since the winter of 2020.
As another year wraps up for us at South Sound GREEN, we wanted to give a huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated or volunteered this year! We had nearly 6,000 student interactions in 2022, which was only possible due to the incredibly hard work by our community partners, school administrators, and teachers! And we can’t forget our students either – thank you for your effort and excitement! We couldn’t do it without you!
We have a lot of exciting things upcoming in 2023, most notably the return of Student GREEN Congress at the Evergreen State College! We can’t wait to host our biggest annual event in-person again, and we’ll be celebrating our 30th Congress event alongside the Nisqually River Education Project and Chehalis Basin Education Consortium. Reach out or stay in touch if you’d like to be kept updated on Congress, the South Puget Sound Regional Envirothon competition, the Teens in Thurston (TnT) volunteer group, or any other SSG programs in the new year!
If you are interested in volunteering for any of South Sound GREEN’s programs or want to learn how to get your own school or class involved, contact Sam Nadell, snadell@thurstoncd.com or (360)754-2588 ext.102
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From Our Community
A snapshot of other great events, programs, and services available from throughout our community.
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Discovery Speaker Series: Steh-Chass the People with Charlene Krise
Puget Sound Estuarium
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Thursday, January 5th, 2023
6:30 - 7:30 pm
Online Webinar
Learn more and register here
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Tune into the Estuarium’s Facebook Live or join them through Zoom for an exciting talk with Charlene Krise, the Director of the Squaxin Island Museum, Library, and Research Center. Tune in to hear Charlene talk about Steh-Chass, the people. Charlene served as the Squaxin Island Tribe’s Tribal Council Vice-Chairman from 2017-2021 and has represented the Squaxin Tribe in historic court rulings, such as the Shellfish Litigation in 1996 (Boldt II), and the Culvert Treaty Fishing Litigation of 2006-2007. If you are interested in learning more about local tribal culture, you will not want to miss this talk!
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MLK Day of Service - Volunteer Opportunity
Thurston County Stream Team
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Monday, January 16th, 2023
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Online Webinar
Learn more and RSVP here.
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Join Stream Team for their Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service! MLK Day of Service is a great opportunity to participate in restoration activities at Woodland Creek Community Park, including tree care and planting, invasive species removal, site cleanup, and mulching.
Coffee, snacks, donuts, and water will be provided. Participants should dress for the weather and bring a water bottle and work gloves.
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Virtual Orca Talk with Dr. Holly Fearnbach
Puget Sound Estuarium
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January 21, 2023
2:00 – 3:00 PM
To participate in this talk either visit the Estuarium or join virtually with this link!
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Join the Estuarium for an exciting and timely virtual talk on the health of local Orcas. Dr. Holly Fearnbach is a leading researcher in the field of marine mammal health. For more than two decades she has worked with government (NOAA), NGO and academic research groups on studies to support the conservation of whales and dolphins in US waters and internationally. This includes photogrammetry studies to assess the body condition, growth and reproductive success of free-ranging whales, and inference from post-mortem analyses of stranded animals. She now brings these skills and collaborations to SR³, a local marine mammal research and rehabilitation organization in Des Moines, WA. There she contributes to health assessments of marine mammals, notably endangered Southern Resident killer whales.
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Amphibians of the Northwest
WET Science Center
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Saturday, January 23, 2023, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Learn more and register here.
Questions? Contact Michelle Stevie, mstevie@ci.olympia.wa.us
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Interested in native frogs and salamanders? Join Stream Team and guest speaker Dr. Max Lambert from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for a fun workshop exploring the ecology, habitats, and unique characteristics of local species. Learn how to identify different life stages of local amphibians with an emphasis on egg mass identification.
Amphibian activities for all ages are available throughout the day - drop in anytime during open hours!
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Stories of food, food as stories. A project-based workshop to explore our food-based traditions
Window Seat Media
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Saturday, January 28th - Saturday, March 11th, 2023
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Olympia & Tumwater
Learn more and register here.
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Stories of Food, Food as Story is a 4-session project-based workshop to explore our history and cultural heritage through food traditions. Local teaching artists will guide participants through the process of:
- Identifying a food tradition through which they can learn about their history or culture
- Conducting an oral history interview(s) to document the tradition
- Using interview transcripts and memorabilia as source material as inspiration to create a short piece of creative nonfiction and/or a visual journal
Sessions will include a meal that highlights a food tradition in our community. This workshop is for anyone interested in tools and a structured process to connect with their loved ones, their culture and their community and explore their story through food.
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Conservation News
Interesting news, articles, and studies on conservation issues from around the world.
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'Bout Broke Farm
NRCS News
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"If you visit Steve & Dianne White’s Vermont, Illinois farm, you are immediately greeted with a stunning view of forest, wetlands, and cropland (with ample residue!). This is in stark contrast to the miles upon miles of heavily tilled fields you see on your way there. While agriculture normally results in an artificial ecosystem, it’s easy to see right away that ‘Bout Broke Farms is something different." Read more here.
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US Fish and Wildlife Service launches Center for Pollinator Conservation
By USFWS Press Release
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"Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service launched the Center for Pollinator Conservation to address the decline of pollinator populations across North America. The national center will contribute science, provide decision support, and coordinate and share best practices with land managers for overcoming some of the biggest challenges facing pollinators". Read more here.
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Build more resilient soils on your farm
Don Donovan and Clint Harrison for the Indiana Prairie Farmer
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"This past year in most of Indiana, rainfall was rare in June and early July as corn entered pollination and ear set. In most cases, the crop made it through well, except on the most droughty soils. Then, in places, it rained up to 15 inches over a period of two weeks, providing much-needed moisture for kernel development in corn and pod set in soybeans. Then in many areas, it went dry again, making combine and field fires a concern and causing slow germination of cover crops and wheat." Read more here.
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