Hello Conservation Community,

We're finally in the swing of spring and events are coming in hot! We've got lots of opportunities for community members to come together and get outside, both with Napa RCD and our amazing partners. For a look at what we've been up to since last month's edition, check out our socials! Feel free to drop comments and let us know what kinds of programs and activities you'd like to see in your pocket of community this season.

Check out what's going on this month below, and we'll see you there!

Until next time,

Napa RCD

This Month's News

Giving Thanks

EDN Community Cleanup Recap

Program Spotlight

2022-2023 Annual Report Available

Announcements

April Rainfall Summary
Meet our New Associate Directors
Our Future's So Bright, We're Gonna Need Shade (Trees) Video Contest
Creek Friendly Carwashes
North Coast Soil Hub

Upcoming Napa RCD Events

Rotary Screw Trap Open House
Climate-Friendly Garden Tour
Honig Vineyard Field Day
Acorns to Oaks: Tree Maintenance Series

Tap into our Community

Bay Area Butterfly Festival
Dry Farming Workshop
Future of Water Workshop
National Trails Day at Newell
World Environment Day Cleanup at Lake Barryessa

Giving Thanks

The Napa River is now 1,053 lbs cleaner!

Napa RCD is incredibly thankful for the volunteers who joined the 2024 Earth Day Napa Community Cleanup.

129 volunteers participated in picking up:

493 lbs of landfill waste
524 lbs of recyclable waste
36 lbs of compostable waste

Totaling out to a whopping 1,053 lbs of waste collected.

That's 1,053 lbs of trash kept out of the community's creeks, streams, river, and eventually the ocean!

We are very grateful to the many volunteers who came out and left such positive impact on the Napa River.

We'd also like to extend a special thank you to Napa RCD's Spring Teen Conservation Interns, Sofia and Jarven, for their help preparing for and leading the event, as well as announcing the results of the cleanup onstage at the Earth Day Napa Festival.

We had loads of fun and look forward to next year's event!

Program Spotlight

Napa RCD 2022-2023 Annual Report

The Napa RCD 2022-2023 Annual Report is now available. The report highlights work completed throughout the year in our four main program areas (Forest Health, Agriculture, Streams & Habitat, and Community & Youth). We spotlight several new initiatives that are expanding how we help the community care for the land, water, soil, and wildlife of Napa. We also highlight ways that our impacts are growing with gifts from generous private donors.

Read the Annual Report

Announcements

April Rainfall Summary

April brought two storms and three days of measurable rainfall to the Napa Valley. Rain totals at the County ALERT monitoring stations (napa.onerain.com) were below average for the month, ranging between 0.5 inches in the City of St. Helena and 1.5 inches at the peak of Mt. Veeder. These totals represent approximately 2.7% of mean annual precipitation. On average, we get 7% of our rainfall during the month of April.

Seasonal totals (beginning October 1) range between 24.2 and 45.5 inches, representing about 92% of mean annual rainfall. The long-term average for this time of year is 94%.

Napa RCD Welcomes New Associate Directors

In April, Napa RCD welcomed new associate directors Antoinette Freeman and Ernie Schlobohm to the team. Antoinette is a seasoned event planner, while Ernie is a seasoned community organizer. Associate directors use their varied perspectives, experiences, and connections to support Napa RCD in an advisory capacity.

Meet Our Board

Water Conservation Video Deadline is 5/17

The Annual Water Conservation Video Contest is almost closed for submissions! This year's theme is 'The Future is So Bright, We're Gonna Need Shade (Trees)'.

Learn about prizes, rules, and tips for success at the link below. And check out previous winners at our YouTube Page!

Learn More and Apply Here

Creek-Friendly Car Washes

Hosting a Car Wash event this summer? Let us help you make it river-safe. Our staff can provide a free consultation including a site visit, tools, and materials to protect creeks and rivers from soaps, brake dust, and potentially harmful motor oils.

To get started, contact Eric at Eric@naparcd.org

North Coast Soil Hub

The North Coast Soil Hub is a regional collaboration between RCDs, USDA-NRCS, UCCE and partners in Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, and Sonoma Counties. The hub promotes stewardship of agricultural lands in a way that supports the social, economic, and geographic diversity of farmers and ranchers in the North Coast, advancing soil health and agricultural resilience.

Learn More about the Soil Hub

Interested in developing or sharing a soil health demonstration? Want to support the Soil Hub? Contact Emilie@marinrcd.org

Upcoming Events with Napa RCD

Learn about Watershed Health at

the Rotary Screw Trap Open House!

Please join us for the 2024 Rotary Screw Trap Open House on May 11 from 9 AM -11 AM.

Participants will have the opportunity to see the Rotary Screw Trap in action, learn about the status of fish in the Napa River watershed, and hear about the data that RCD has been able to collect during this year's Rotary Screw Trap Season.

Registration is required, and participants can select one of four available time slots to join. Details about event location will be shared after registration has been completed.

Grow Your Knowledge at the Climate-Friendly Garden Tour!

What does Climate-Friendly Gardening mean? To us, its a philosophy of gardening that showcases beautiful, climate-smart, and water-wise features. This year's Garden Tour is Saturday, May 18, from 10am-4pm. Tickets are on sale now, just $5 each. Visit our website for more information and to purchase your ticket.

The 2024 Climate-Smart Garden Tour is offered in partnership between the City of Napa Water Division, Napa RCD, and UC Master Gardeners.

Learn More

Honig Vineyard: Biodiversity to Optimize Production Field Day

The event will feature a series of talks given by avian researchers and agricultural professionals, a beneficial habitat walk and a hedgerow demonstration planting. Tickets are required and sold on a sliding scale.

Napa RCD staff will be on-site to share on resources and opportunities for habitat assistance.