What are we proud of doing in 2020? Well, we got all our staff together a couple of months ago and asked them that question. The following list came from them. We hope you enjoy watching the videos we made about each accomplishment!

Food Access During the Pandemic

One of our most important accomplishments during the pandemic of 2020 was stepping up our efforts to increase food access for our community. Our Harvest Pierce County team collaborated with Mother Earth Farm to distribute over 10,000 food plant starts to people across Pierce County.

In addition, we were also proud to help create greater food access in the spring of 2020 by directing some of the CARES Act funding.

Learn more in the video below!

Going Virtual with Education

In 2020 we found a way to continue providing resources to you despite the social distance and the pandemic. In all we made over 52 educational videos, averaging a new educational program a week. Learn more and see some examples in the video below.

City Forest Credits Program

With support from a grant from Boeing, we became the first Conservation District in the country to create a carbon credit program that quantifies the amount of carbon sequestered from our restoration efforts over a 25-year period! Learn more in the video below and here.

Huertos de Comestibles

In March of 2020, Harvest Pierce County unveiled a program on VT Radio Universal called “Huertos de Comestibles”. “Huertos de Comestibles” is the Spanish translation for “Edible Gardens”. We worked with VT Radio Universal founder Christian Lopez and HPC Cultural Ambassador Wendy Pantoja to broadcast 18 bilingual shows from March to October.

Take a minute to watch one the program hosts, Renee Meschi, talk about the show. You'll even catch a peak at the show itself!

 South Prairie Creek Preserve

One of the 2020 accomplishments that we’re most proud of began with 100 acres acquired from a dairy farm in 2005. It required dozens of partnerships and funding sources. It faced year after year of delay. Now, after 15 years of anticipation we’re seeing the fruit of our labor at South Prairie Creek Preserve. Watch the story in the video below:

New Cost Share Programs

Another great accomplishment in 2020 was the expansion of our financial assistance, or “cost-share” programs. For decades we’ve had a financial assistance program for farmers. This assistance helps farmers implement practices that benefit both on-farm productivity and local streams and wildlife. So why did we decide to grow our program beyond agriculture after all these years? Learn more in the video!

New Strategic Plan

Our entire staff, board of supervisors, and community helped create our new 5-year Strategic Plan, creating a vision and road map for how the District can deepen our impact. We’re proud of that accomplishment. Learn more about it in the video below!

Salish Sea Heroes Project Wraps Up

There was a sense of accomplishment as we watched the salmon fry dart to the edges of Swan Creek after being dropped into their new home. They had been raised at the Foss Waterway Seaport from the time they were eggs as part of the Salish Sea Heroes project with Tacoma Public Schools. Community partners, including Pierce Conservation District, teamed up with 5^th grade classes to deliver remote lessons about salmon and the Salish Sea, and how the plight of resident orcas can be tied to the health of local salmon runs. We also collected data on Swan Creek and provided it to the students to determine the best spot to release the salmon. After learning about native and invasive vegetation, macroinvertebrates, and stream health, the students cast their votes. 

Progress with Glacier Middle School Volunteers

The final wheelbarrow full of mulch signaled the end of a hard yet productive shift for the volunteers from Glacier Middle School. We had placed heaps of burlap and mulch over the recently planted area in an effort to keep the blackberry canes at bay. The area along the White River has been transformed over these past several months thanks to the dedicated teachers and students during regular work parties. Our conservation crews have also been a key part of our early success, and we’ll look to keep momentum going over the summer as we clear more room for planting later this year.

Forest Poster Contest

Are you a student artist, or know someone who is? Check out this year’s NACD poster contest – Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities!

A NOTE FROM JAYME:

The past year has been characterized by a lot of uncertainty, change, and a sense of shifting ground. I haven’t been immune to these things, and after a lot of reflection and careful thought, over a long period of time, I’ve made the decision to leave PCD.

This chapter happens to close just a few weeks before my 23rd work anniversary. I am extremely proud of the long list of accomplishments I can put my name on in these 23 years. Growing the Stream Team program. Building the