• Japanese beetle treatments beginning
• Washington County Master Gardener programs
• Plant Sale
• Beavers: our local ecosystem engineers
• Treekeepers of Washington County programs

Japanese beetle treatments beginning

The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) has begun to notify residents that they are treating yards for the destructive and invasive critters that landed here several years ago. If you are in the treatment area, you likely received an email or a letter that includes important information on what will be done and what you can do before and after the treatment to make it more effective. More information is available on the JB website.  

Washington County Master Gardener programs

Join us for Gardenfest 2024

Saturday, May 4, 9 am-1 pm, PCC Rock Creek Campus Hoop House area near Building 4, 17705 NW Springville Rd., free

Join Washington County Master Gardeners (WCMG) for a fun-filled day shopping for plants, getting ideas from our Education Garden, and asking questions at our “Let’s Talk Plants” booth. There will be kids’ activities and Gifts for Gardeners, too. Parking is free. Please visit the event webpage for more details. 

Gardening Education with Food Hero

Tuesday, May 7, 7-8 pm, Zoom, register here, free

Join the Washington County Master Gardener Association (WCMGA) and LeAnn Locher, OSU Extension Statewide Master Gardener Outreach Coordinator, to learn more about the innovative social marketing campaign of OSU Extension and OSU’s SNAP-Ed program, which brings free seeds, gardening guides and tips, grow calendars, and more to thousands of Oregonians. 

Conifers of the Pacific NW

Saturday, May 18, 10-12 pm, PCC Rock Creek Campus Bldg. 4 (Room 103) and WCMGA Ed Garden, register here, free

Join WCMGs Elizabeth Price and Lisa Hansen to learn more about conifers of The Pacific Northwest. The PNW is one of the most diverse regions in the world for conifers. We will walk the PCC Rock Creek campus examining the foliage, cone, bud, and bark characteristics that differentiate spruce, true fir, hemlock, Douglas-fir, larch, and true cedar. A bit of natural history on each of these groups of conifers will also be discussed.

WCMGA Open Garden

Saturday, June 1, 10 am-1 pm, PCC Rock Creek Campus, 17705 NW Springville Rd., free

Join us in the garden for hands-on activities for the whole family that celebrate invertebrates and vertebrates. Learn about the insects and other wildlife in our garden and meet some farm animals from the PCC Rock Creek Farm, including the endearing miniature horse, Tootsie!

WCMGA Strategies for Integrated Pest Management Webinar 

Tuesday, June 4, 7-8 pm, Zoom, free

Logan Bennett Small Farms and Master Gardener Program Coordinator for Douglas County, OSU Extension Service, will present a webinar on Strategies for Integrated Pest Management.

What actions should be taken on your land or in your garden to contend with diseases, pests and weeds? Includes a focus on biological controls and what can be done to encourage natural and introduced controls. Registration is required and will be available at the WCMGA events page.

For more information, please go to the WCMGA website. The WCMGA sponsors a wide variety of gardening-related demonstrations, lectures, seminars, and workshops in various Washington County Oregon locations. Most of our events are free and open to the public. The WCMGA is a 501c3 non-profit.

Plant Sale

Saturday, May 11, 8:30 am-2 pm, 12555 SW 22nd Ave. at the corner of SW Hall Blvd. & SW 22nd Ave., free

Cedar Mill Garden Club will join with Beaverton Garden Club for their 16th Annual Plant Sale. The event includes over 1500 perennials, shrubs, trees, veggie & herb starts, creative containers, native plants, Mother’s Day bouquets, garden gloves, and mosaic stepping stones. Many more garden-related item crafts and miscellaneous items will be offered for sale too. 

Beavers: our local ecosystem engineers

Wednesday, May 22, 7-8:30 pm, Skyline Grange, 11275 NW Skyline Blvd.

Beavers are active engineers of our creeks on Skyline Ridge and around the Tualatin Valley, building dams, rechanneling creeks, creating bogs and ponds. 

Presented by David Osborn, faculty member at PSU. Osborn will describe his work supporting the reintroduction of beavers to the Mt. Hood National Forest. He and his PSU students initiated a project with the non-profit organization Bark (bark-out.org), collaborating in beaver research, developing a protocol for assessing beaver habitat, and surveying over 100 sites for reintroduction suitability.

Osborn will speak to the role of beavers in ecosystems, the impact of settler colonialism on beaver populations, and the potential of working with beavers to not only heal the land, but also heal our human relationships with the land. This is the fifth presentation in the 2024 Skyline Living Series organized by the Skyline Grange Education Committee.

Treekeepers of Washington County programs

We work to protect and advocate for trees in urban unincorporated Washington County. Don’t miss our upcoming events! All of them are free. Visit the Treekeepers website to learn more.

Tree Talk: Getting to the root of tree stress problems

Wednesday, May 15, 6:30 pm, Zoom, register here, free

How we can support the existing tree species in our shared urban canopy through climate stress. This talk on root collar disorders and soil care/nutrient support for trees facing seasonal stressors such as drought and prolonged periods of heavy rainfall underscores the critical role of soil health in maintaining tree vigor and resilience. Root collar disorders, often exacerbated by environmental stressors, can lead to significant decline or mortality in trees. Proper soil management practices, including adequate moisture control, mulching, and nutrient supplementation, are essential for mitigating stress-induced damage and promoting root health. By fostering a supportive soil environment, arborists and tree stewards can help trees better withstand the challenges of fluctuating weather patterns and climate stress ultimately enhancing their long-term survival and ecological benefits. This talk will be facilitated by Bartlett Tree Experts with Logan Collier as speaker.

Tree Walk: Tektronix Campus

Sunday, May 19, 10 am-12 pm, SW Hocken Ave., register here, free

Join Becky for a Tree Walk on the Tektronix campus in Beaverton. Yes, this is a corporate complex with lots of buildings and parking lots—but it’s also home to a surprising number of beautiful and varied trees. This walk will be mostly on pavement and paved trails (although we’ll also enjoy some grassy/wooded areas) and is approximately two miles. There are no drinking fountains or restrooms on the walk itself (plenty at nearby Cedar Hills Crossing). No dogs please. Sign up early, as registration is limited.

Tree Walk: Walk PCC’s Rock Creek Trail and enjoy a guided tour of the Five Oaks Museum

Saturday, May 25, 10 am-12 pm, 17677 NW Springville Rd., Portland, register here, free for walk, $8 per adult for tour

We are excited to offer a guided tour of the Five Oaks Museum exhibit, Replenish the Root: Six Centuries of Gathering Under the Oaks, at a discounted price of $8 per adult. This exhibition takes visitors through over 600 years of history of the stand of ancient trees that gives the museum its name. It tells the stories of people, plants and animals that have utilized these oaks, including Indigenous land stewardship as well as changes caused by colonial settlement, agriculture, and urban growth. This will be combined with a walk through Portland Community College Rock Creek’s nature area which includes upland conifer forest, ash forested wetland, wetlands, prairie, and Oregon white oak woodland. Don’t miss this one! You can sign up for the walk, the museum tour, or both. For more information, visit the Five Oaks Museum website.