Whether you have a backyard, a balcony, or share in our community spaces, you're connected to something bigger. Join us as we explore how our homes, neighborhoods, and everyday choices shape the health of our watershed. Through our 'Watershed Wisdom Begins at Home' event series, discover simple yet powerful ways to protect our rivers and lands right where you live and gather. From rain gardens to native plantings, from irrigation-free gardening to community volunteer projects, these next two years of events will focus on the power of individual actions to create ripples of positive change throughout our watershed!

Upcoming LWC Events

Friends of Gentle Woods Mulching Event

Date: Sunday, March 22
Time: 9:00am - 11:00am
Place: Gentle Woods Park (600 Olive Way, Monmouth)

Calling all mulchers! Come join the Friends of Gentle Woods to help spread mulch around our newly planted trees and shrubs! The mulch will help suppress weeds around the plantings and keep moisture in the soil for a longer time once the rains stop. This activity is suitable for all ages, so bring the whole family to help out! Learn more and RSVP here.

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Earth Day at Ash Creek

Date: Saturday, April 18
Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Place: South Fork Ash Creek (S. 11th St., Independence)

Celebrate Earth Day with the LWC by helping us remove invasive ivy and bird cherry from a beautiful grove of century-old oaks along South Fork Ash Creek. Learn more and RSVP here.

Partner Events

Polk Soil & Water Conservation District
Fields to Streams Workshop Series

Edge Effects: Vegetation, Habitat, and Water Health

March 10th from 8:30–11am
Amity Fire District (700 S Trade St., Amity)
 
Hear from Derek Godwin, Watershed Management faculty at Oregon State University, as we explore how historical conditions have shaped the Salt Creek watershed and how vegetation influence habitat and water health today. We’ll also look at strategies for balancing flood control, stream erosion, and water quality, review examples of successful wetland reserve projects, and highlight available funding sources for vegetation restoration and water quality improvements. All landowners and producers are welcome! Hosted by the Polk Soil and Water Conservation District.

Register: Edge Effects - Polk Soil & Water Conservation District

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Oregon State University Forestry & Natural Resources Extension

Master Woodland Manager Training

This comprehensive, outdoor‑focused course runs March 5 through May 21, 2026 (every other Thursday, 9:30 am–3 pm) and covers topics like:

•  Forest ecology & planning
•  Silviculture & forest health
•  Watershed and riparian processes
•  Fire on the landscape
•  Reforestation and vegetation management
•  Harvesting, marketing & more

​In addition to learning from forestry professionals and OSU faculty, graduates commit to volunteer service opportunities that help support woodland owners and community education.

Register here

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Letitia Carson Legacy Project

Seasonal Field Day and Symposium

Saturday, April 25
​This is the first seasonal field day at the Carson Donation Land Claim and homestead site at Soap Creek, focused on spring. There will be three tours that day. Pre-registration required, and that opens in March. ​

Friday, May 15 @ 5:00 - 8:00pm
Benton County Historical Society Philomath museum
​This is the third annual Letitia Carson Symposium, which includes an optional field trip that afternoon, from 2-4pm. Registration opens in March.​

More Information

2025 Sips 'n' Science recordings:

• ​January 8, 2025: Beavers: Unsung Climate Heroes on Rangelands Across the US West, presented by Hannah Gosnell and Angie Thompson, OSU
• February 12, 2025: Understanding the Willamette Valley Conservation Area, presented by Chris Seal, US Fish and Wildlife Service​
• April 9, 2025: From Data to Action: How Science Shapes Restoration in the Luckiamute, presented by Jonah Nicholas, Luckiamute Watershed Council
• October 8, 2025: Backyard Butterflies and Conservation, presented by Stephanie Hazen
  
• November 5, 2025: Dragonflies and Damselflies of the Watershed, presented by Cary Kerst and Jim Johnson
  

Traditional Ecological Knowledge Video Series

This two-part video series was produced in partnership with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde (CTGR), Polk Soil & Water Conservation District and the LWC, with additional funding support by Benton Soil & Water Conservation District and Willamette Habitat Restoration Fund. This series focuses on teaching private landowners how they incorporate Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and partner with CTGR in maintaining oak habitat on their land.The first video begins by defining TEK and its importance to landscape restoration, and describing the cultural significance of many native plant species. The second video explains how landowners can incorporate the principles of TEK into their own land management strategies, and features the story of a Polk County landowner who is managing her cattle ranch to protect Oregon white oak and other native plants important to the Tribes. Click here to view video series!

Click here to visit our library of virtual Love Your Watershed events

All of our virtual Sips 'n' Science webinar recordings and other video productions are now available for viewing in our virtual event library!

We also have several other virtual offerings, including a native gardening workshop, a virtual plant ID walk and resources for community science. Click on the images below to find out more!

LSNA Self-Guided Walking Tour

Date & time are your choice!
Place: Luckiamute State Natural Area - North Unit

Head to Luckiamute State Natural Area (LSNA) for a self-guided walking tour around the North Unit loop trail. The tour includes six waypoints, where you are encouraged to stop and learn more about LSNA and its ecological and cultural importance. A brochure that includes a trail map and markers for each of the six waypoints is available at the LWC office, or you can print and download a copy for yourself! Click here for more details and to download a brochure!