Program Spotlight
- Garden Month Kicks off with Soil Talk and Plant Giveaway Event!
News & Announcements
- April Showers Bring Fish and Low Flows at the Rotary Screw Trap
- Earth Day Napa Cleanup Sees Record Volunteer Turnout!
- Coping With Drought Workshop
- Looking for Feedback- Napa Climate Now Reusable Foodware Survey
- Water Conservation TikTok Challenge
- Save the Date: Community Oak Days
In Case You Missed It
- Water Resilience for Vineyards in Drought Workshop
- Cutest Research Ever: Integrated Sheep-Vineyard Systems
- Napa Open Space District's Spring Trails Challenge
Upcoming Programs
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Garden Month Kicks off with Soil Talk and
Plant Giveaway Event!
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Somehow it's already May and here at Napa RCD, May has become synonymous with water-wise gardening!
We're thrilled to once again be partnering with our friends at the City of Napa Water Division to host Garden Month.
What is Garden Month?
Garden Month used to be the Bay-Friendly Garden Tour. As with most things, when COVID restrictions hit we changed the format to move away from a one-day, in-person tour of multiple gardens to a month-long array of resources and events to suit a variety of gardeners and gardening needs.
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What's happening in 2022?
Napa RCD got together with our partners at the City of Napa Water Division, the UC Master Gardeners of Napa County, the Western Monarch Society, and CA Native Plant Society to put together a suite of in-person events.
For those that want to try their hand at container gardening on their patio, we're giving away container garden starter packs, with plants, pots, soil and compost! For those that want to make their garden more diverse, fun, and climate resilient, we have an Open Garden Extravaganza that will include information tables and two workshops. Additionally, CNPS is hosting their spring sale, and the Master Gardeners have events covering soil, greywater, trees, and more!
Each of our plant giveaways will feature milkweed plants generously grown and donated by our partners at Western Monarch Society. We will have pots and soil for you to transplant your baby milkweeds into, and instructions for care whether it will be a container garden plant or put into the ground.
The Open Garden Extravaganza will be hosted by Napa RCD Board Member Jon Kanagy and will focus on climate-friendly gardening. Jon has taken advantage of the City of Napa's Cash for Grass program to transform his high-maintenance lawn into a lush front yard of native and drought-tolerant plants. In the backyard, things get crazy! We will have two workshops repeating once in the morning and once in the afternoon, one focusing on soil health and one focusing on drip irrigation conversion. We will have tables with information about water-wise gardening, and Jon will be around to talk about his home compost, raised vegetable beds, and urban chickens! This event is free, but registration is required.
Here's the full list of events:
- May 5 @ 7-8pm: Soil is the Solution Virtual Talk with the Master Gardeners*
- May 7 @ 10am-2pm: Compost and Plant Giveaway
- CrossWalk Community Church
- May 10 @ 10am-2pm: Tree Walk in Fuller Park with the Master Gardeners*
- May 14 @ 10am-3pm: Open Garden Extravaganza*
- Registration is Free, but Required
- May 21 @ 10am-2pm: Compost and Plant Giveaway
- CrossWalk Community Church
- May 21-22 @ 10am-4pm: CA Native Plant Society Spring Sale
- Skyline Park
- May 28 @ 11am-1pm: Greywater, Irrigation, and Firewise Landscaping*
- Las Flores Learning Garden
*Events that require registration
You can find the whole calendar of events and register for events
on the Garden Month webpage:
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April Showers Bring Fish and Low Flows at the Rotary Screw Trap |
Last month, we shared that the Rotary Screw Trap had just been put in the Napa River. We'll give you a full rundown of results next month, but here's a quick update!
So far this year, there has been enough flow in the Napa River to run the Trap for 13 days. The last day we could fish was April 29; after that, flows were too low to keep fishing. The good news? We've caught lots of steelhead trout and Chinook salmon parr and pacific lamprey this year! These three fish are of great interest to us because they are all anadromous and their populations are either critically low or threatened.
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Earth Day Napa Cleanup Sees Record Volunteer Turnout! |
Many thanks to all of our volunteers who helped make the 2022 Earth Day Napa Community Cleanup a roaring success! We had the largest turnout we've seen since before 2008, and we are so thankful for each and every one of our volunteers, from our AMAZING site captains to individual community members helping out at our ten sites.
Mark your calendars now- the next large-scale cleanup here in Napa County is Coastal Cleanup Day, happening on September 17, 2022. We'll see you out there!
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Coping With Drought: A workshop for farmers in Napa County - May 12 |
California is in year three of its second extreme drought in ten years, with impacts felt by farmers and wildlife alike.
Several voluntary programs exist to support farms and ranches experiencing the effects of these drought conditions. This workshop will provide an introduction to these programs, as well as an update on the state of the drought and the Napa Valley Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan.
Agenda Topics Include:
- State of the drought in Napa County and broader region
- Voluntary Drought Initiative (VDI) and how agricultural producers can participate in the program now and into the future
- Technical and financial assistance programs available to agricultural producers to conserve water and enhance habitat through Napa RCD and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) drought assistance through the USDA Farm Service Agency
- Status update on implementation of the Napa Valley Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP)
This is a free virtual event. Please register here:
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Looking for Feedback: Napa Climate Now Reusable Foodware Survey |
Disposable foodware (single-use plates, bowls, cups, trays, utensils, etc.) is a critical problem throughout California. Not only does it contribute to climate change, it also creates litter, pollutes rivers, and harms wildlife. Many municipalities have already adopted ordinances to confront this problem. Napa Climate NOW! has drafted an ordinance for Napa municipalities to address this issue locally.
As work continues to create the final draft of Napa’s ordinance to reduce foodware waste, your ideas are welcomed. Please help by taking this brief survey:
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Water Conservation Video Contest:
Calling all TikTok Stars!
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This year's Water Conservation Video Contest has taken a turn into the land of TikTok!
As California enters its 3rd year of a historic drought, taking action to conserve water needs to be a priority today and in the future. How can we save water?
Theme 1: Conserve Water, Not Just for Us
- How can we help local wildlife by conserving water?
Theme 2: Be Water-Wise
- What do people need to know about best watering practices for home landscaping?
Students in grades 6-12 in Napa County should apply by creating and posting a 30-second TikTok, and including the hashtag, #ConserveNapaWater. Contestants must make their TikTok public during the following dates so their videos can be judged: May 27 – June 15.
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Save the Date:
Community Oak Days
June 4, 2022 • 9-11am
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Did you join us last fall to plant acorns at Alston Park at our Community Oak Planting Day? Here's your chance to give those seedlings some nurturing as they prepare for the hot and dry summer months!
Napa RCD staff will be out in the field on the following days:
- June 4, 9-11am – Summer Kickoff @ Alston Park
- June 22, 9-11am – Alston Park
- July 27, 5-7pm – Skyline Park
- August 21, 2-4:30pm – Summer Wrap-Up @ Huichica Creek Vineyard – Come to work, stay for happy hour!
Volunteers are needed to weed planting areas and apply mulch
Tips for fun and safety:
- All ages welcome
- Dress for gardening- thick pants and sturdy shoes keep you comfortable
- BYO filled water bottle and snacks
We hope to see you out there!
Questions? Contact Ashley
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Water Resilience for Vineyards
in Drought Workshop
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Join Mendocino County RCD, University of California Cooperative Extension, and Anderson Valley Winegrowers Association for two half-day workshops covering water resilience strategies for vineyards during times of drought. Topics will focus on the North Coast region and will include local water issues and drought relief programs, soil health practices, alternate frost abetment strategies, and vineyard planning for a resilient future.
Please note, this event is free and registration is required.
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Cutest Research Ever:
Integrated Sheep-Vineyard Systems,
Carbon Sequestration, and Soil Health
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UC Davis has been doing ongoing research in the area of integrated crop-livestock systems, and Napa RCD has been along for part of the ride! We invited sheep into our Huichica Creek Vineyard as part of this study, and we're excited to share one piece of the results with you!
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Napa Open Space District's
Spring Trail Challenge is Happening Now!
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Get outside to explore new parks and trails while supporting the Napa Open Space District!
Every spring, NOSD hosts the Spring Trails Challenge to help everyone Go Outside and Play and enjoy our parks. It’s the perfect time for exploration here in Napa County with wildflower blooms, green hillsides, and clear days for outstanding views.
Complete 5 trails from the Spring Trails Challenge Guide, photograph yourself and friends on the trail, and be entered to win prizes. Bonus points (and an official event t-shirt) for participants raising funds for NOSD while they complete the challenge.
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Did you know that we have a separate email list for volunteers? |
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Help support Napa RCD - Donate Today!
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Napa County Resource Conservation District | 707-252-4189 | NapaRCD.org
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