Introduction for new employees. This will be an orientation to the workings of Districts and roles of employees in achieving local conservation success (Entry Level)
Come revitalize your mind and body with slow-flow yoga. Start your day strong with these simple yoga stretches that will serve you all day. Bring a mat!!! or something to stretch on.
Participants take a brief personality style profile and learn about their type as well as other peoples’ types. Each personality type is explored- the positives and potential challenges of those types-noting that each personality style is awesome. (Entry Level)
Join this collaborative forum facilitated by the Office of the Washington State Auditor (SAO). A local government financial operations expert from the Center for Government Innovation, a service of SAO, will answer your questions about internal controls while you learn about resources and best practices that help you build safeguards to protect your organization from common fraud risks. (Entry Level)
The outdoors are for everyone and we can support multilingual learners in engaging in natural phenomena and science learning through strategies that welcome their language, cultural perspectives, and knowledge. This session will highlight some strategies for supporting multilingual learners in English language acquisition as well as their home language use (Entry Level)
Working with folks with same, similar, and/or quite different styles is discussed, as well as ways to better work with all personality types. (Entry Level)
This session will focus on fiscal year close-out, including key review items, highlights of important updates from fiscal staff, and dedicated time for questions from district staff. (Entry Level)
Casey provides technical assistance to project sponsors prior to application submittal. He completes design review and approval for projects that are awarded for funding. He also serves a regulatory role as a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) permitting biologist. Casey will discuss his approach to project review and tips for how to work through the design review process for fish passage projects. (Entry Level)
An overview of common weeds found in riparian areas on both the West and the East sides of the state along with ideas for effective control in restoration plantings. (Entry Level)
Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest have long shaped their environments through sophisticated ecosystem management practices. Practices such as prescribed burning, transplanting, and tending of "wild" perennial food plants have created a patchwork of cultural ecosystems, including forest gardens—unique species-rich habitats that now occur near former village sites. Long term community-guided work with Canadian First Nations, U.S. Tribal Nations, archaeologists, and historical ecologists has led to the re-identification of these sites. This talk presents new archaeological and ecological data from forest gardens in Nuu-chah-nulth, Ts’msyen, and Salish territories, showing that Indigenous land-use legacies have had long-term effects on plant community composition and functional trait diversity. These findings challenge narrow definitions of agriculture and demonstrate how Indigenous stewardship continues to sustain biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. They also carry implications for the ecocultural restoration revitalization of community relationships with these landscapes. (Entry Level)
Ecosystem recovery planners, managers, and scholars are increasingly recognizing the importance of understanding the human communities within which we work to improve and scale recovery outcomes. This session will discuss drivers for restoration program success and alignment of recovery actions and outcomes between ecosystem recovery professionals and the communities impacted by their work. The first presentation will introduce a framework to understand drivers of behavior and the design of effective behavior change interventions. Next, we will present on new research of how the structure of landowner incentive programs influences private landowner willingness to participate and support habitat restoration. This work will provide insight on how program design can enable effective incentive programs. And finally, we will present on ongoing research on community members’ priorities for floodplain restoration outcomes and if project manager messaging to communities reflects those priorities. This work will offer guidance on what social and ecological outcomes managers can highlight to enhance residents’ perceptions of restoration project success. (Entry Level) (Combined with Education, Communication & Outreach track)
In autumn of 2025, Underwood Conservation District (UCD) was implementing Phase 2 of a Western Pond Turtle project when an artifact was inadvertantly discovered during pond excavation. Work was stopped immediately and the artifact was determined to be a pre-contact lithic material (a ground basalt mortar weighing about 15 pounds). Further ground disturbing work is currently on hold during ongoing consultation between UCD and federal, state and tribal archaeologists. Kim will discuss the implications of a finding during project construction, using the ongoing Pond Turtle project as a real-time example. Bonus: the discovered item will be available for viewing at the presentation. (Entry Level)
Engage in lessons taught by fellow CD staff and take curriculum back to your community. Presenters will briefly demonstrate lessons they lead with students and share how they can be adapted for age levels and different setting. Leave with curriculum and ready-to-use lessons for your own programs (Entry Level)
(Virtual) Discover innovative, non-toxic, chore-efficient solutions for mud management, insect and rodent control, odor management, water conservation, weed control, and more! See examples of native plant hedgerows used as dust barriers/neighbor screens for outdoor arenas, pollinator hedgerows for landscaping, owl boxes for rodent control, least-toxic weed control, outdoor wash rack designs with pervious surfaces, odor control options... and so much more! Begin a sustainable approach and reduce chemical use while making your property healthier for your horses, you, and the great outdoors! (Entry Level)
Get to know your fellow Riparian practitioners and follow up with the afternoon's speakers with semi- structured break out groups. A number of our WADE speakers will be joining us for break out sessions to allow for more informal discussions. (Entry Level)
Building and maintaining partnerships are essential when developing educational opportunities for communities. This session will feature four conservation districts sharing their experience building and sustaining collaborations with partners. Speakers will touch on initial outreach, funding, and the evolution of the project. (Entry Level)
Join us for a guided field visit to the nearby Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, where Tribal member Randy Lewis will share his perspective on restoration and the importance of honoring the long cultural history of the landscapes where we work. We will plan to meet in front of the Sleeping Lady and carpool to the site. If time allows, we may also visit another nearby location of Tribal significance. Come prepared for outdoor conditions and don’t forget your water and sunscreen! (Entry Level) (Combined with Design & Implementation track)
This session features a discussion with SAO focused on audit readiness and common audit recommendations, with an opportunity for questions and discussion. (Entry Level)
This session shares practical storytelling tools that help conservation districts explain complex work, build trust with communities, and show why conservation matters. (Entry Level)
Join us for a guided field visit to the nearby Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, where Tribal member Randy Lewis will share his perspective on restoration and the importance of honoring the long cultural history of the landscapes where we work. We will plan to meet in front of the Sleeping Lady and carpool to the site. If time allows, we may also visit another nearby location of Tribal significance. Come prepared for outdoor conditions and don’t forget your water and sunscreen! (Entry Level) (Combined with Design & Implementation track)
This closing session brings finance and administrative staff together to reflect on key themes from the conference, share insights and takeaways, and discuss how lessons learned can be applied moving forward. Through facilitated discussion and peer exchange, participants will leave with a clearer understanding of next steps, helpful resources, and strengthened connections across districts. (Entry Level)
Join us for a guided field visit to the nearby Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, where Tribal member Randy Lewis will share his perspective on restoration and the importance of honoring the long cultural history of the landscapes where we work. We will plan to meet in front of the Sleeping Lady and carpool to the site. If time allows, we may also visit another nearby location of Tribal significance. Come prepared for outdoor conditions and don’t forget your water and sunscreen! (Entry Level) (Combined with Design & Implementation track)
