Solano Resource Conservation District

Every fall we teach students from around Solano County about the Suisun Marsh by visiting Rush Ranch Nature Center. This year we cannot host field trips in person, but that hasn’t stopped our education team from lacing up their boots and heading out to teach kids about the importance of Suisun Marsh! Today we held our first ever virtual field trip at Rush Ranch with 6th graders from Benicia Middle. We miss inspiring kids about nature in person, but are so thankful to still be able to bring a little joy, even virtually! #suisunmarsh #rushranch #watershededucation #environmentaleducation #solanorcd

Do you live, work, or farm in the Solano Subbasin? The Solano Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) Collaborative wants to hear from you! Join the Fall Virtual Town Hall on Oct. 15 from 6PM to 8PM to get latest the updates on the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) development, ask questions, and share your perspective. Go to https://groundwaterguide.com/ to sign up and learn more about the groundwater plan.

Here is some info on a free webinar about growing food and raising poultry on land burned by wildfires.

It's #TeachersDay #WorldTeachersDay #worldteachersday2020 and we are thankful for all of the teachers, as well as professionals and mentors who also are teacher...s, in our youth programs. Pictured is John O'Brien, formerly of Audubon California, teaching SLEWS students from Sacramento High on a field day. Also pictured is @christopher.r.rose.3 of Solano Resource Conservation District. See more

Today's native plants: LARGE SHRUBS AND SMALL TREES For our final post we are highlighting some larger plants that might not be a good fit for some gardens, but if you have the room they are great natives! 1: Coyote Bush (Baccharis pilularis). Coyote Bush is a favorite native for our restoration staff and can be found at many of our sites. It blooms in fall, which helps pollinators find nectar sources at the very end of our dry season. Photo taken by SRCD staff.... 2: Manzanita (Arctostaphylos). Manzanita is an evergreen shrub, or sometimes small tree, with attractive red bark that is native to most of the coastal United States. Manzanita gets its name from the Spanish word for "little apple" after its tasty berries that are popular with lots of different animals including bears, foxes and even quail! Photo taken by SRCD staff. 3: Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia). This perennial shrub also goes by the name California Holly and gave Hollywood its name. Its berries develop just in time for the holidays, helping feed migratory birds through spring. Photo taken by SRCD staff. 4: Western Redbud (Cercis occidentalis). Western Redbuds are covered with beautiful purple flowers in the spring that turn into these maroon seed pods in late summer. The seed pods persist all summer long, adding a pop of color to native gardens. Photo taken by SRCD staff. Thanks for tuning in for our native plant posts! We hope we inspired you to choose natives for your garden and landscaping needs as planting season gets underway. There is such a large variety of amazing and beautiful plants for any need or aesthetic! To learn more about gardening and landscaping with native plants, visit Calscape.org! #plantnatives #nativeplants #nativeshrubs #coyotebush #manzanita #toyon #westernredbud #pollinators #pollinatorgarden

Today's native plants: SMALL SHRUBS AND LARGE FORBS Some of our favorite native plants and flowers are shrubs! 1: Western Goldenrod, Euthamia occdentalis. Western goldenrod is a perennial flowering plant found in wetland areas of the west. Its tiny yellow flowers bloom through summer and fall and are favorites among pollinators like bees and butterflies. Photo taken by SRCD staff.... 2: California Fuchsia, Epilobium canum. California fuchsia loves the sun and blooms at the height of summer. A common name for fuchsia is the Hummingbird Trumpet because of its popularity with hummingbirds. Photo taken by SRCD staff. 3: California Rose. Rosa californica. These deciduous natives make a great addition to any garden. The hips on this wild rose can be used to brew herbal tea, and if you look at the ingredients of "natural" teas, you may find it listed! Photo taken by SRCD staff. 4: California Aster, Symphyotrichum chilense. Asters are closely related to the sunflower! Despite its Latin name, this aster is not native to Chile. As this photo demonstrates, asters are loved by pollinators like bees. Photo taken by SRCD staff. Check back with us tomorrow for some more of our favorite native plants! #plantnatives #nativeplants #nativeshrubs #californianativeplants #fuchsia #wildrose #aster #pollinators #pollinatorgarden

Next up on our week of native plant posts: WILDFLOWERS AND FORBS! Wildflowers and forbs (flowering plants that are not trees or shrubs) are great additions to native gardens and easy to cultivate at home. 1: Sunflower, Helianthus annuus. Did you know that while the domestic sunflowers planted across Solano County farms have one flower per plant, wild natives grow many branches with flowers? Photo taken by SRCD staff. 2: Blue Eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium bellum. Despite ...its name and appearance, blue eyed grass is not a true grass and is instead classified as a perennial forb. These pretty flowers bloom in late winter and spring and become dormant during summer. Photo taken by SRCD staff. . 3: Showy Milkweed, Asclepias speciosa. Native milkweed varieties such as Showy Milkweed and Narrow Leaf Milkweed are vital host plants for Monarch butterflies. Not only is it the only plant monarchs will lay their eggs, but the leaves contain an alkaloid that when eaten, makes monarch caterpillars taste awful to predators! Plant native milkweeds to help save our dwindling monarch populations! For more info on monarchs, check out the Monarch Joint Venture or the Xerces Society. Photo taken by SRCD staff. . 4: California Poppy, Eschscholzia californica. The official state flower of California! Poppies are popular with a variety of pollinators including birds, bees and butterflies making them great additions to any garden. Photo taken by SRCD staff. For more native plant inspiration, check out California Native Plant Society’s Calscape website! calscape.org monarchjointventure.org xerces.org/monarchs #plantnatives #nativeplants #wildflowers #sunflower #blueeyedgrass #milkweed #showymilkweed #californiapoppies #pollinators #pollinatorgarden #nativegarden

Every fall SRCD hosts our annual plant sale. This year is a little different. Due to the pandemic, we decided to cancel our plant sale for the time being. But in honor of one of our favorite events, all week long we will be posting some of our favorite native plant varieties to hopefully give you some inspiration as the planting season starts! First up: TREES! 1: Valley Oak, Quercus lobata. Valley oak are amazing natives that can live for hundreds of years! They are decidu...ous (lose their leaves in the winter) and love water sources. Like most oak trees, valley oak offer a great habitat to a vast array of critters including a variety of mammals, birds and moths! Photo taken by SRCD staff. 2: California Laurel, Umbellularia californica. California Laurel, or California Bay, is an evergreen native to our coastal forests. As its name suggests, this Bay's leaves can be used as a substitute for the traditional Mediterranean bay leaf, but are more peppery and should be used with caution! Its nuts can also be roasted and used as a coffee or chocolate substitute. Photo taken by SRCD staff. 3: California Buckeye, Aesculus californica. The California Buckeye is the only buckeye native to California. While the nectar from its unique white flowers are important for some species of butterflies, don't eat the nuts, they are poisonous! Photo taken by SRCD staff. 4: Blue Oak, Quercus douglasii. Blue oaks derive their name from the subtle bluish tint to their leaves. They are known for their slow growth and their tolerance for dryer weather. SRCD staff is currently busy collecting acorns from our local oak populations, including blue oak and valley oak! Photo by Calscape. Check back with us tomorrow for some more of our favorite native plants! #nativeplants #plantnatives #trees #nativetrees #valleyoak #californialaurel #californiabuckeye #blueoak

Sometimes birds are too quick to study, but they do leave behind signs that they're around. Can you identify which birds these belong to? : Program Educator Wendy L. #birdsofinstagram #birds #birdwatching #SolanoCounty #nature #naturalist #rcd #solanorcd #specialdistricts #carcd

#Repost @putahcreekcouncil If you’re stopping by the creek, don’t forget to pack out what you pack in. Leaving trash behind is never a good idea. Thankfully, it’s Creek Cleanup Month the entire month of September. If you’re enjoying the creek, grab a bag and fill it with some trash. Small decisions and actions in your daily life can make a big difference! Even if you’re not by a creek or waterway, picking up trash in your neighborhood can keep it out of the storm water drainage systems and out of the creek!

Solano RCD will be accepting donations to assist our community members with getting a jump start at preparing for winter storms and run-off. Donated funds will be used to purchase rice straw for affected landowners. The straw will be staged at various locations throughout the burn area in Pleasant’s Valley and North Vacaville, and will be used by local agency staff working with landowners, for volunteer rice straw spreading events, and for landowners to use on slopes and oth...er areas where erosion will be most prevalent. A donation in any amount helps! To donate, check out the link in our bio. #lnulightningcomplexfire #solanostrong #erosioncontrol See more