by Jack Hulgan

For years, Western Washington has been experiencing an increase in wildfire severity. While climate change is one of the leading causes for this uptick, policies suppressing fire from being utilized as a way to manage fuel availability in the form of dry brush and neglected green spaces near large-scale housing developments follow close behind. For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples have been able to work in tandem with fire in a way that both decreases fuel availability and increases soil fertility. In an effort to learn from those that have stewarded the land since time immemorial while also abiding by current local codes and regulations, James Moore, Pierce Conservation District’s Climate Resiliency Program Manager, has created a Biochar Kiln Rental Program. The program gives property owners a safe way to reduce available wildfire fuel and increase their soil’s fertility. 

Three volunteers tending to the fire during a kiln demonstration in Ashford.

Biochar is a carbon-rich substance created from burning organic material in an environment in which oxygen is absent. This thermochemical process, called pyrolysis, requires a low-oxygen setting in order to lock in the carbon in the charcoal, rather than release it as carbon dioxide. Biochar makes an excellent soil amendment as it returns sequestered carbon back into the soil. Biochar can also change the pH of the soil depending on the ash content, but it is quite hard to exactly control this variable. Organic material burned, environmental conditions, and the temperature/duration of the burn are a few ways that can alter the pH of the biochar. Slash burns commonly used by farm and forest managers do not have the constant high heat and low oxygen for pyrolysis to occur, and most low-temperature fires have greater negative air quality effects. This is where a kiln is needed. A biochar kiln comes in many configurations and sizes, and they all accomplish the goal of maximizing heat while minimizing oxygen. Pierce Conservation District’s kiln was designed to be both easily transportable and simple to set up with 1-2 people.

Biochar can be made from all kinds of organic materials- even some invasive plant species like Scotch Broom.

The kiln is constructed from a series of metal sheets, brackets, and bolts. When assembled, a large cylinder is formed, and it must be packed tightly with organic material. Any gaps at the bottom of the kiln must be covered with soil to prevent the entrance of oxygen. Some property owners have stockpiled invasive species they’ve removed, or they are looking to get rid of irregular pieces of wood. An upside to utilizing a biochar kiln is the flexibility in meeting a property owner’s needs. The important thing to keep in mind is that the organic material must be dry and initially packed in tightly to keep the ignition temperature high. After the top is ignited, then you can continually feed the kiln until it’s full of charcoal and can finally be quenched. Before renting the kiln, ensure all of the items on the “Biochar Kiln Safety Checklist” located on the rental program’s page are checked off, a burn permit has been obtained, and at least one kiln demonstration or equivalent has been attended.

Assembling the biochar kiln. 

If you want to rent Pierce Conservation District's biochar kiln, visit Biochar Kiln Rental Program | Pierce Conservation District, WA

By Laura Wagner

Pierce Conservation District has just launched the Golden Lawn campaign in partnership with Tacoma Water, the City of Tacoma, and Pierce County. This campaign urges a community effort to save water by letting your lawn go dormant during the summer months. When the rains return, the majority of lawn types in our region will re-green on their own. One of our Golden Lawn campaign yard signs in action

Participants in the Golden Lawn Campaign can get a free yard sign like the one pictured above to show their support for water conservation and their commitment to helping the environment.

Why Go Gold?

Save Money

It is estimated that almost one-third of all residential water in the United States is used for landscape irrigation. Water bills commonly increase in the summer due to this high usage, and lawn fertilizers and fuel for gas mowers only add to the cost. A drought tolerant lawn requires less watering, less mowing and no fertilizer. What will you do with your savings instead? 

Protect Puget Sound 

Toxic runoff is the #1 source of pollution in the Puget Sound. Reducing or eliminating the amount of lawn mower gas, lawn fertilizer, and herbicides used on your property means fewer pollutants entering our streams through excess irrigation and stormwater runoff when the rains return. 

Climate Resiliency

As summer temperatures increase and droughts intensify, we need to work together to protect the quantity and quality of our fresh water supplies to help our region respond to changing conditions.

How Do I Participate? 

You can be a part of the movement to let your lawn go golden in three easy steps: 

1. Sign the pledge here to get a yard sign!
2. After you get your yard sign from Pierce Conservation District or Tacoma Water, place it in your lawn. Reduce your watering and watch your grass go gold. See below for more instructions on how to get a sign and how to care for your golden lawn.
3. Tell the world! Snap a photo of you and your golden lawn with your yard sign and tag @MyTPU, @PierceConservationDistrict, and #GoingGoldenLawn

You can check out our Golden Lawn Campaign page here for additional information. If you have any questions about this campaign, don't hesitate to contact greenstormwater@piercecd.org.

By Laura Wagner

Almost 60 volunteers joined us at Roy H Murphy Community Center for an evening that celebrated the heart of the extensive work Pierce CD does. Attendees enjoyed free food, a plant swap, lawn games, and the opportunity to talk with one another before a brief recognition ceremony. 

Attendees enjoy free food and drinks while listening to the recognition ceremony.

We extend gratitude to Chronic Tacos and Puyallup Food Bank for catering and donated drinks that contributed to a free dinner for volunteers! Volunteers also had the option to bring potluck goods of their own to the celebration.

Indoor Fun

Volunteers could head over to our "Why do you volunteer" paper to share why they stay involved with Pierce CD. They could also wander over to our Volunteer Superstar photobooth for a picture together. 

Reasons included "to give back to the community who gives me so much", "I learn so much about our environment (parks), it is fun (mostly), I like the people (always)", and "it is fun to make a difference".

Our volunteer Board of Supervisors group together for a photobooth picture

Volunteers loved the opportunity to connect with familiar and new faces over shared love for our Pierce County green spaces. About an hour and a half into the evening’s celebrations, our Volunteer Coordinator Bailey Wambold and Executive Director Dana Coggon recognized the many volunteers that make a difference in Pierce County. Internal PCD volunteers such as the Board of Directors, AmeriCorps members, Washington Conservation Corps, National Civilian Community Corps, Habitat Stewards, Pierce CD interns, and Gleaning Leaders all got a special moment of recognition. 

All volunteers with 10 or more hours listed above had a moment to stand and receive applause, whether they could attend the celebration or not!

Fun in the Summer Sun

Venturing outside provided a warm summer breeze and evening sun for the celebrations. Volunteers could let loose with giant jenga, a ring toss, connect four, or cornhole. If their game playing got too intense, they could cool down with some ice, cold water, and fans at our cooling station. 

Jenga, cornhole, and connect four made for fun bonding activities

We also provided a plant swap table for Pierce CD workers and volunteers alike! Attendees could pick their souvenir of choice from a selection native plants and other garden friendly additions. 

Plant swapping was a perfect activity for so many environmental and plant enthusiasts!

We Love Our Volunteers!

Whether you’ve pulled a dozen weeds or pulled hundreds, planted trees or gleaned hundreds of pounds of produce, we are so grateful for every one of you! Thanks to the consistent support and participation from volunteers, we’ve done so much together for our community and the environment this year.

Our Harvest Pierce County Team and gleaning volunteers gleaned a record weight of produce last year, distributing produce that would have otherwise gone unused to hunger relief organizations.

Our Water Quality Team have successfully been running regular work party locations at the Peck Property in Puyallup and Waughop Lake in Lakewood for about a year now.

The Environmental Education Team distributed hundreds of salmon eggs to Tacoma schools through our Salmon in Schools Program and hosted hundreds of kids on a salmon release field trip in March thanks to education docents. They also led White River Schools through their first year of raising and releasing salmon in schools with Pierce CD. 

Every one of you makes a difference in the community and we’re so happy to know you all. So many of you choose to join us in our invasive plant removal or native planting work parties regardless of the weather conditions. Some of you come out on those rare sweltering Washingtonian summer days for a work party or glean. Some of you even trek over in warm layers to South Prairie Creek Preserve during chilly fall and winter seasons to remove invasive plants.

All the hard work you do restores and protects Pierce County ecosystems so they can thrive. So much of the work we do couldn’t happen without our volunteers’ love, passion, and determination to serve our local environment and the community that inhabits it. We are so happy to have spent another successful year with you all. With your help, we know this next one will be even better!