Offers state, federal and locally funded education based programs for encouraging well being and quality of life. Programs include Agriculture Education, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), Health & Wellness, Master Gardner Program, and Natural Resources.

Extension Programs offered at   WSU Yakima County Extension

Offers state, federal and locally funded education based programs for encouraging well being and quality of life.

Programs that provide information and guidance for people who want to protect the soil, water, air, plant and animal resources in their own backyards or in outdoor settings at school or work. Included may be tips for improving soil using composting, mulching and other techniques; managing nutrients and pests; implementing water conservation practices; restoring native vegetation; selecting a site for and planting trees for shade and wildlife habitat; establishing backyard ponds or wetlands systems; developing basking sites; and providing feeders, bird baths, nesting boxes, roosting boxes and other accoutrements that attract birds, butterflies, frogs, insect-eating bats and other small mammals to a backyard setting.

Backyard Conservation

Programs that provide plots of land on which groups of people living in a neighborhood can grow fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers. Community gardens provide access to fresh produce and plants; may be located in parks, schools, hospital grounds or other open areas; and may be nurtured communally and the bounty shared, have individual plots for personal use, or be dedicated to "urban agriculture" where produce is grown for a market. Some have raised beds that are accessible to people with disabilities. The gardens provide an opportunity for participants to savor the freshness, flavor and wholesomeness of home-grown produce; save money on their food bills; grow traditional foods not available in the supermarket; or simply get some exercise and enjoy the benefits of being outdoors. They also support a community's food security, contribute to the preservation of open space, strengthen community bonds, provide a sense of connection to the environment and offer opportunities for community education.

Community Gardening

Programs that provide classes, individual instruction or other opportunities for people who want to learn or perfect their skills in landscape design; decorative plant selection and maintenance; construction or installation of walls, decking, lighting, fencing and planters; and other aspects of indoor and outdoor gardening.

Gardening/Landscaping Instruction

Voluntary, informal education programs that emphasize the total development of young people who are members through work on the animal, engineering, family/consumer, health, resource, plant or social science project of their choice in consultation with their parents and supervising adult volunteers. Members also participate in camping activities, leadership conferences, awards programs and community service activities.

Youth Agricultural Programs

Programs that offer classes which teach people methods for safely preparing and preserving food at home so that it can be stored for future use. Participants may learn the science behind food spoilage and the causes of food-borne illness as well as specific techniques and recipes for canning fruits and vegetables, pickling fruits and vegetables, preserving jams, jellies and conserves, curing and preserving olives, smoking and curing fish and meats, and dehydrating and freezing food. Home food preservation is a good way for families, especially those who grow their own food, to limit their intake of salt and other additives commonly found in commercially preserved foods and stretch their food budget.

Home Food Preservation Instruction

Programs that provide information concerning the basic principles of healthful eating, food handling, food preparation and shopping skills. Included is information about the basic food groups, vitamin and mineral requirements, the relationship of nutrition to the preservation of good health and the prevention of illness, and dietary choices such as vegetarianism.

Nutrition Education

PlantAmnesty Arborists volunteer their time to prune majestic old trees in the King County area mainly for nonprofit organizations or people who cannot afford the pruning.

Tree Care offered at PlantAmnesty

Programs that preserve and protect endangered plant resources, protect areas where endangered plants currently thrive and restore plant habitats ensuring the preservation of the ecosystem.

Plant Conservation

Promotes voluntary stewardship among landowners in Thurston County. Conservation districts are voluntary, non-regulatory legal subdivisions of state government that administer programs to conserve natural resources. 
Offers free and low cost services such as: 
 - conservation planning, 
 - soil testing, 
 - equipment rentals, 
 - cost share and technical assistance with conservation issues throughout the county. 

Also offers a variety of educational tours and workshops, some topics include: 
 - pasture management, 
 - nutrient management, 
 - noxious weed ID and removal, 
 - native plant ID, 
 - shoreline living, 
 - prairie habitat and more. 

Hosts several volunteer events, including the annual Native Plant Sale and restoration work parties throughout the community. 
Home to South Sound GREEN, a watershed education program for students grades 4-12.

Land Conservation offered at Thurston Conservation District

Promotes voluntary stewardship among landowners in Thurston County. Conservation districts are voluntary, non-regulatory legal subdivisions of state government that administer programs to conserve natural resources.

Programs that preserve and protect endangered land resources from indiscriminate development, destruction or decay and which manage the utilization of renewable and nonrenewable resources to ensure ongoing availability. Included are conservation of forests, rangeland vegetation, deserts, wild and scenic rivers and other wilderness areas and open land spaces; and reestablishment of areas that have been devastated by strip mining or other destructive activities.

Land Conservation

Organizations that are actively seeking individuals who are willing, on a voluntary basis without remuneration, to use their expertise in the areas of auto, home and yard maintenance or construction to work on projects for the organization itself or to help the people it serves.

Construction/Home Maintenance Volunteer Opportunities

Programs that provide information, technical assistance and support for individuals who want to grow their own produce in a home garden setting. Services may include consultation regarding planting times, soil care and preparation, produce selection and pest control; provision of materials such as seed, fertilizer, potting soil, sod, manure, composting worms and other gardening supplies; and information and guidance regarding harvesting.

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Extension Programs offered at WSU Yakima County Extension

Tree Care offered at PlantAmnesty

Land Conservation offered at Thurston Conservation District