Community in Conservation

At the heart of every restoration project, volunteer event, and education program is our community. This quarter, we’re celebrating the people who make a difference — from students exploring local ecosystems to volunteers planting trees, restoring streams, and helping salmon thrive. Join us as we highlight past successes, share upcoming opportunities, and show how, together, we protect and care for the landscapes we all love.

Upcoming Events

Lower Satsop Ponds Stewardship Events

Saturday, March 7th, 2026

Saturday, June 6th, 2026

10:00 am- 2:00 pm

The Intersection of Keys Rd and Wenzel Slough Rd in Satsop

Become a Lower Satsop Steward!

Love the great outdoors? Want to make a direct impact on local salmon habitat and the health of the Satsop River? Join our brand new volunteer program! A

s a Lower Satsop Steward, you'll join a community dedicated to riparian restoration at the WDFW Lower Satsop Ponds.

We'll be rolling up our sleeves for:

Native Plantings

Invasive Species Removal

Habitat Healing

No experience needed! We provide the tools, training, and snacks. You bring your energy and love for the environment.

Questions? Contact khunter@graysharborcd.org

Chehalis River Restoration Events

Weed Pull

Saturday, March 21st, 2026

10:00 am- 4:00 pm

15 S Bank Rd, Elma, WA 98541

Earth Day Tree Planting

Saturday, April 25th, 2026

10:00 am- 4:00 pm

15 S Bank Rd, Elma, WA 98541

Weed Pull

Saturday, May 2nd, 2026

10:00 am- 4:00 pm

15 S Bank Rd, Elma, WA 98541

The Chehalis River will be the focus of several upcoming restoration events where community members can get involved in hands-on stewardship. In partnership with the Grays Harbor Conservation District and the Grays Harbor Stream Team, volunteers will work alongside a local landowner to remove invasive plants and replant a former field with native trees and shrubs. This multi-part effort offers several opportunities throughout the season for community members to help restore habitat, improve water quality, and support salmon and wildlife along the river.

Questions? Contact khunter@graysharborcd.org

Macroinvertebrate Sampling

Citizen Science Program

Bug ID and Pizza Night

Saturday, April 11th, 2026

3:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds

Field Techniques Training

Saturday, April 18th, 2026

12:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Mill Creek Park

Cosmopolis, WA

East Fork Wildcat Sampling Event

Saturday, May 9th, 2026

12:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Macroinvertebrate ID Event

Saturday, May 30th, 2026

12:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds

Looking to get your feet wet this summer? The Grays Harbor Stream Team, in collaboration with the Grays Harbor Conservation District, is inviting volunteers to help explore and learn about the health of local streams in the Lower Chehalis Watershed. Participants will join staff at sampling events to collect aquatic insects, take simple sediment samples, and observe stream habitat at several sites.

No experience is required, but it is highly encouraged to attend a training event before joining a sampling day. Volunteers who attend multiple events are especially encouraged, as your efforts help build a stronger understanding of our waterways. This is a fun, hands-on way to learn about stream science and contribute to your local environment.

To stay in the loop about this program get on our volunteer list!

Volunteer Sign Up

Grays Harbor Agriculture Summit

Wednesday, April 15th, 2026

3:30 pm- 7:00 pm

Sharon Grange

912 S Bank Rd, Oakville WA

Join us for the Ag Summit, a free community event bringing together local producers, conservation professionals, and partners to share knowledge and resources. Presentations will include soil health basics from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Grays Harbor Conservation District, and Natural Resources Conservation Service, along with a “Livestock 101” talk from local producers. Attendees can enjoy refreshments, connect with others in the agricultural community, and enter to win door prizes.

News from GHCD

Have Your Voice Heard in the Board of Supervisors Election!

On Friday, March 13, 12 PM – 7 PM, registered voters residing in Grays Harbor County can cast their ballots at 150 Technology Lane, Suite 201 in Elma, WA.

Your vote matters! Electing the people you want on the Board of Supervisors is a powerful way to have your voice heard and support the role of conservation and natural resource stewardship in your community. Every vote counts—make sure yours is one of them!

Learn more about the Board of Supervisors and their role at graysharborcd.org/board-of-supervisors

Veteran Conservation Corps Internship Opportunity

Now Hiring: Veterans Conservation Corps Intern

The Grays Harbor Conservation District is looking for a Veterans Conservation Corps (VCC) intern to help with prairie habitat restoration and monitoring across the Chehalis Watershed in southwest Washington.

This paid internship offers hands-on experience in habitat restoration, wildlife monitoring, and conservation practices while working alongside district staff and partners.

Interested? Visit our website to learn more about the position and how to apply:

Learn More

From Stream to Classroom: Salmon Come to Life

Salmon in the Schools gives 3rd–5th grade students across Grays Harbor County a unique, hands-on opportunity to explore the world of Pacific salmon. Through this full “stream-to-sea” curriculum, students raise coho salmon from eggs to fry while learning about the salmon lifecycle, their habitats, and the important role they play as keystone species supporting other wildlife and healthy ecosystems. By connecting classroom lessons with the natural world, students gain a deeper understanding of their local environment through place-based education.

The program concludes with a trip to the hatchery where the fish were raised, a release of the coho into local streams, and interactive activities like fish printing and exploring aquatic insects. Funded by the Grays Harbor Marine Resource Committee, Salmon in the Schools is offered free to participating classes and is one of many environmental education programs the Conservation District hosts to inspire stewardship and curiosity in young learners. We are always looking for additional schools to join this exciting program.

If you are a teacher interested in participating, please reach out to khunter@graysharborcd.org

How do trees and shrubs fare during flood season?

We get a chance to answer this question nearly every season in the Chehalis Basin, and this riparian restoration project along the Chehalis River near South Bank Road is no exception. We worked with the landowner here to establish a riparian buffer in the spring of 2025, and the following December floods gave these plants a proper Grays Harbor welcome!

The goal of this project is to reduce erosion and flow velocity for the landowner during winter flows while also providing the river with shade, leaf inputs to the aquatic food web, and eventually large wood for the benefit of salmon and other aquatic species. While these results may take several more years to be realized, riparian plants, even young ones, are well adapted to conditions like these. High flows bring sediment that enrich the soil and increase growth in native plants, and wetted floodplains ensure that these young plants have plenty of water available when they use those nutrients to grow. These benefits will ensure they establish quickly and become even more resilient to the floods we experience in the Chehalis Basin. We are continuing to partner with this landowner to establish these plants and others, as well as hosting volunteer events for the community to get involved in this stewardship opportunity.

Thank you for signing up for our newsletter!

Grays Harbor Conservation District values the diversity of our staff and the communities we work with. We are committed to creating a workplace and programs that are welcoming, equitable, and inclusive for everyone. Our services are accessible to all, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, or any other characteristic.

Grays Harbor Conservation District
150 Technology Lane STE 201
Elma, WA 98541
USA
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