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Teresa Matteson

Can information from the soil explain why some prairie restoration efforts are more successful than others? In 2016, the Prairie Soils for Sustainable Restoration project set out to find the answer, thanks to funding from Oregon Natural Resources Conservation Service.

2017 was an exceptional year of Integrated Biological Pest Management (IBPM) education thanks to USDA Risk Management Education Partnerships Program funding and the leadership of Gwendolyn Ellen.

Diverse natural landscapes managed by landowners who understand and appreciate the importance of ecosystem services are fundamental to what makes Benton County a mighty fine place to live and work. One such landowner is George Ice, past BSWCD Chair. For 35 years, George worked as a research forest hydrologist with the National Council for Air

RD compares his livestock operation to the pieces of a puzzle. Some pieces take a long time to fit in place, such as the six years that he has invested to develop relationships with neighbors.

Andy Gallagher first came to Benton SWCD looking for conservation-minded people in the Willamette Valley.

November 18, 2020 was a mixed-up weather day. You know the kind, where cold rain chills you to the bone while soaking jean legs below raincoat. Then, suddenly the clouds drift with the wind and sunlight brightens the day. In spite of the threat of weather, we agreed to hike around the 140 acres, a

In 2019 and 2020, BSWCD helped NRCS certify EQIP practices in Benton County. Learn more!

Conservation Neighbor Nick Cavagnaro shares some tips for what to grow in Benton County. He doesn’t have use for plants that do not support the local wildlife, be it birds or insects.

Bob Morris, previously an associate director, joined the Benton SWCD Board this summer as At-large Director. A retired veterinarian, educator extraordinaire, and passionate photographer, Bob can be easily spotted on BSWCD tours and during field days because he carries a camera with a gigantic telephoto lens. In his home garden, Bob captured this lovely shot

  This past year, Oregon NRCS has challenged growers to test their soil health using a new method, the Soil Your Undies Challenge! Active soil microbes are hard at work in healthy soil, but those little buggers are not easy to directly measure. Indirectly, you can track the rate of decomposition of cotton fabric as

Signe Danler teamed up with Emily Klammer to create this one-page, print-ready poster of six simple actions to improve your garden and the world.

Your garden is busy helping the planet! Plant roots excrete gooey (high carbon) substances into the soil, a beneficial process to attract microbes. In return, the microbes provide nutrients to the plants. This cooperative interaction between flora and fauna is the foundation of soil health, the ultimate goal in resilient landscape systems. Healthy soils capture and filter water, recycle nutrients from decomposing organic matter,